


Privacy, Propriety, Passion, and Yearning

by sublimeWaves



Series: 25 EXO Challenges [15]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, Arranged Marriage, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Falling In Love, Gen, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-27 04:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 30,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10801749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sublimeWaves/pseuds/sublimeWaves
Summary: “How can you ask your own mother to be calm?  I have four boys who are out in society under my care and yet not a one is engaged and no prospects!   How the other mothers must laugh at me!”





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Emotion: Ecstatic  
> Word: Season  
> Theme: Roles

The most popular place to spend the holidays, for only those who are the wealthiest and wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of town, was only half of a day carriage ride away.  The small town on the ocean side was known to all for being the place to be during the prime time of the first two weeks in August.  They would come and relax and anyone who was anyone had a home there.  The small town had a small population, most homes only being occupied by servants tending to summer homes that looked after multiple houses.  There were only a few families that lived there year around that were not servants and they were quite wealthy.

One of the families that lived there permanently was an affluent family who was quite popular to visit during the summer holidays.  The man came from old money and had married the most popular socialite in town.  When it was time to settle down, the woman had wanted to stay somewhere where she could relax all the time with no burdens, so they chose the small vacation town to stay.  They married in grandiose fashion and had three sons and raised the man’s nephew as a ward for his brother who was a travelling ship merchant.

The two had expensive tastes and were not the best with money.  Frivolously, they spent a lot of the fortune themselves.  They could still live comfortable, but in response, the man had decided to run for city council.  He had never had a job and thought that one was needed to get his spending under control.  The problem lay with his three sons.  It did not look good to his constituents in town if his family was unmarried as all his sons were out in society and yet none of them had any prospects.  So, the man and woman were preparing for the summer season, hoping to get them well off spouses.

On the last day of July, a young man peeks through the front door of a mansion.  Bypassing all the servants in a rush to open the door for him and to announce his arrival, he waltzes in with a jovial expression.

“Baekhyun,” the man calls out, loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.  He never seemed to have any problems being heard and a door on the second-floor slamming shut told he was most definitely heard.  The servant to his left seemed to be in a state of shock of the wildly inappropriate behavior displayed by a man of his stature.   Even if the man did walk around with no manners, his clothes were more than enough to distinguish his class.

Baekhyun stomps down his stairs, cheeks puffed out and hair messy.  Dressed in travelling clothes he does not stop until he is right in front of the tall man and hits his shoulder.  The man does not take offense and laughs as he picks up the shorter man to hug.  “I have just arrived two hours ago.”

Chanyeol scoffs.  “Then I am three hours late.  Your letter did not provide the time of your arrival which I was most appalled at.”

“As if your letters are as enlightening as mine.”  Baekhyun comments flippantly.  Chanyeol admits that Baekhyun is a better writer since his habit of rambling carries over to writing Chanyeol every single detail of his life.  They write to each other every week yet Chanyeol will sometimes get the mail and thinking he has received a book.

This last letter was about how he was bringing his dormmate along with him for vacation.  For years, Chanyeol has been hearing about this man named Kyungsoo who has become good friends with Baekhyun from university.  Chanyeol is comfortable with Baekhyun and does not wish to ruin that, but his best friend has assured him that Kyungsoo will fit right in.  With all that Chanyeol has heard, he thinks that he worries for nothing if it is true that Kyungsoo’s favorite pastime is insulting Baekhyun.

Leading the way, Baekhyun sits in the recently dusted sitting room.  The room hasn’t changed in years since Baekhyun’s mother had abandoned this house by giving it to her second son and bought another vacation home across the road from here.  It reminds Chanyeol of when they were children playing here.  Chanyeol speaks first.  “How was your trip?”

“Horrendous!”  Baekhyun says dramatically laying on the sofa.  “It is too hot to be travelling.  Town is too far away from this place.”  He sits up as he tries to put on a hopeful expression.  “Move to town, it solves all problems.” 

Chanyeol is usually a happy man but the prospect of moving puts a frown on his face.  Not because he does not wish to move to town, he very much wishes to.  His only problem was his uncle.  “I am indebted to my uncle’s estate until I married.  You know this.”

Baekhyun huffs a bit.  It’s the same old argument they have had for quite some time now.  “If you have come to university with me, then this would not have happened.”

“Minseok went to university and is still forced to stay,” Chanyeol replies instantly.  A servant brings a tray of baked goods and the tall man could never say no to such things.  Rolling his eyes, Baekhyun takes one of the scones.  They were always his favorite.

“He is the first born.  You are a ward.  There is a difference,” Baekhyun says he bites into his scone.  “Town has such amusements and every time I think of you is an image of you wasting away here.”

“Well as someone who grew up in town I expect nothing else from you,” Chanyeol says as he lays back into the couch.  With Baekhyun, he feels completely at ease.  They have not seen each other since Baekhyun’s winter break.  He had spent two weeks with his family and only one week here in the small town.  When he was younger, this town was fun with the oceanside and ever familiar rotations of those vacationing.  Now, Chanyeol tired of only being around new people once a year.  If he was in town, he could be in the center of it all.  He feels as if he would never get tired of it.  “My aunt only ever speaks of finding us suitors and I am tired.”

“This town just has _so_ many,” Baekhyun says sarcastically.  “Your mother has been searching for a partner for you for years.  I am hardly surprised at her, but it seems to me you have just noticed.  Chanyeol, you cannot be so dense.”

Chanyeol ignores the small insult as he usually does when he realizes Baekhyun is right but does not wish to admit defeat.  “My aunt and uncle are allowing Jongin to go into town.”

“The youngest has escaped?”  The shorter man questions as his mouth opens in a bit of awe.  Realization hits him, clear as day.  He has always been one to show the world what he was thinking through his expressions.  “Do you mean to tell me that he was accepted into the ballet in town?”

“The audition practice has been so long that I feel as if I have taken you on an adventure with my letters about Jongin,” Chanyeol smiles.  “So I thought it best to tell you the results in person.”

“It has been quite a long process, has it not?”  Baekhyun asks, he sighs as he goes to eat another scone.  “I have never seen someone dance with as much passion as with your younger brother.  The ballet should be honored to have him.”

A small man, smaller than Baekhyun, enters the sitting room.  Big eyes and a dull expression and Chanyeol thinks he is just the cutest man that he has ever seen.  He stands up as he realizes that this must be Kyungsoo.  Baekhyun does not bother to stand and just pats the seat next to him, on the other side of which Chanyeol sits.  Baekhyun gives a lackluster introduction.  “Chanyeol, this is Kyungsoo.  I have written to you and spoken of him to you.  Kyungsoo this is Chanyeol and I have written to you and spoken of him to you.”

Chanyeol bows slightly before they take their seats. “I am Park Chanyeol and I live just a bit down the road.”

“I know,” the man says as he takes a biscuit.  “Baekhyun talks of the man whom he has grown up with at length.”

“Baekhyun just knows how memorable I am,” Chanyeol jokes.  The man does not laugh.  The edges of his mouth do inch a bit up his face and that is all Chanyeol needs to know.

Baekhyun sneers.  “Brute!”

Soft chuckles come out of Kyungsoo.  Chanyeol scoffs.  “As if your favorite pastime was not to brag about yourself.”

“Such impolite conversation,” Baekhyun says as he smiles at Kyungsoo while also shoving Chanyeol enough for him to entirely miss the scone that he was about to bite.  “I have visited this town for so long I feel as if I am part of Chanyeol’s family.  We were just talking about Chanyeol’s cousins whom he lives with.  The youngest just turned of age and is going to go dance for the ballet in town.”  He explains to Kyungsoo who nods.  “What of the others?”

Kyungsoo answers before Chanyeol can respond.  “Are you already trying to gossip?”

“When am I ever not gossiping?”  Baekhyun asks exasperated.

“When it is about you,” Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun does a small squawk.  This is the moment that Chanyeol looks at Kyungsoo and very much approves of his existence and wishes to be friends with him.

“ _Anyways_ , Chanyeol?”

Chanyeol sighs a bit.  “Joonmyun is still perfect, as always.”

Kyungsoo blinks.  “Nobody is perfect.”

“Joonmyun is the finest suitor in the country,” Baekhyun explains.

“Joonmyun?”  Kyungsoo says as if trying to remember something.  “I have heard of his name come up many of times at parties in town.  I remember my cousin enamored by him after a trip to this town.”  He turns to his dormmate.  “A jewel to hang on your arm, sounds like someone for you.”

Baekhyun blanches.  “The problem with him is his purity.  He is the most well-mannered gentleman and people like him are the most boring in bed.”

“Baekhyun!”  Chanyeol exclaims as he kicks the other boy’s leg.  “I do not _ever_ wish to think of my cousin having sex or discuss such things.”  He straightens up and plods on, trying to get rid of any mental images.  “Minseok graduated university.”

“Is he still as plain as I remember?”  Baekhyun asks, grabbing yet another scone.  Chanyeol nods and Baekhyun frowns as he eats the scone. “As expected.”

“My uncle’s latest brilliant plan to get at least one of us married is to have Minseok be put into an arranged marriage,” Chanyeol admits.  Minseok’s fury at his father’s words was the first time Chanyeol thinks he ever saw him get angry.  There was no shouting at the dinner table, just glares and sharp words before Minseok excused himself.

“Arranged marriages are not even common in town,” Kyungsoo says, a bit disgusted at the discussion topic.  “Is your father actually mad?”

“No, no.  My uncle is running for mayor and wishes for us to find suitors by autumn before the election,” Chanyeol explains.  “Minseok is his eldest son and therefore will have the most impact on the election in my father’s eyes.  He keeps talking about the opening ball the day after tomorrow so that we may find suitors as it is the first of the vacationing season.”

“Not that your father is not going to get elected since the entire village is in favor of him,” Baekhyun says.  “It is still horrendous.  I recommend that you find and sleep with three suitors this vacation season.  That should satisfy him.”

Chanyeol looks offended.  “I slept with three suitors two years ago, as you must recall.  It would be an insult if it was anything less than three.”

As Baekhyun laughs, Kyungsoo is a bit in awe.  “You really are Baekhyun’s partner in crime.”

“Charmed?” Chanyeol asks.

“Disgusted.”

The childhood best friends get a good chuckle out of that one as they look at each other.  Baekhyun elbows Chanyeol in the ribs a bit too hard, smile wide and eyes bright.  It was rare for Chanyeol to meet someone who could not only handle Baekhyun but banter with him as well.  “We do complement each other, don’t we?”

“Very much,” Chanyeol agrees.  Next to them, Kyungsoo looks at them with what Chanyeol can now understand is happiness.  He realizes then why he must like Baekhyun so much.  Kyungsoo finds amusement in other people feeling tortured and Baekhyun is one who finds himself tortured due to his meddling in all the town’s business.  As Baekhyun shoves another scone in his face, Chanyeol looks to Kyungsoo.  “Will you be at the ball?”

“Unfortunately,” Kyungsoo answers with a frown as he sips his drink.

“Soo is not fond of balls,” Baekhyun explains.  He puts up a hand so Kyungsoo cannot see his lips and stage whispers, “too much romance and debauchery.”  He then gives a long dramatic sigh.  “He pursues none and refuses all pursuers.”

Kyungsoo’s face is blank as he considers his cup.  “That’s me.”

In that moment, Chanyeol falls in love.


	2. The Importance of Letters

Jongin is in the sitting room writing a letter when his eldest brother descends the stairs.  He’s dressed up even though he is going nowhere of importance.  There was no place of importance to go when it was not vacation season.  This made Jongin restless, a boy destined to be in a city and to always be moving.  He could not wait until he had to go into town.  But, for now, vacation season was only one day away and he looked forward to it.

His eldest brother, Minseok, walks towards him.  “Have you seen Chanyeol?  He usually goes riding at this time, but his horse is in the stable.”

Jongin remembers a bouncing Chanyeol heading off down the road just a few hours ago, wide smile on his face.  His whole body seemed to be filled with excitement.  Truth be told, he was acting a bit like an excited Baekhyun.  Since Jongin had known both men since he was a child, he was sure in his observation.  When Chanyeol told him of the news, he had been a bit excited as well.  Baekhyun was always bringing a bit of light to their lives.  “He has called upon Baekhyun.”

Minseok’s eyebrows rise.  “Is he already back?  Vacation season is still a few days away and Baekhyun likes to be fashionably late.”

“Chanyeol’s joy when leaving a few hours ago could only mean he has decided to be early for once,” Jongin responds.  He can feel Minseok glance at the top of the letter that Jongin is writing.

“Do you know when Taemin is coming?”  Minseok asks in reference to the subject of Jongin’s letter.  Jongin’s best friend’s location puts him in a sour mood.  The man had escaped the monotony of his own isolated life in the plains on the other side of town.

“No, he is already with the company,” Jongin explains.  Already with the company, already in town and starting his life.  He gets to do what he loves, dance, and he does not have parents breathing down his back and showing him off to every lady and gentleman.  First they brag about his abilities and then they try to see if they have someone for him to marry.  It is as if they never leave him alone.

Taemin only came during the vacation season and sometimes during the winter season for a week to visit him.  Jongin, as well as all his brothers and his cousin, remember vacation season fondly growing up.  Those two weeks were the only times that people of their age were in the village so that they were able to make friends.  For the rest of the year they were effectively isolated inside their small house, left to rot.

Minseok puts a hand on his shoulder for support.  He can always count on his eldest brother to understand, to be a source of comfort.  As someone who has seen the outside world and then to be yanked back due to family obligations, Minseok understood him the most.  His cousin Chanyeol was also like him.  He watched as all his friends went into town yet stayed in the small village.  “I know you love his presence.  You will see him soon enough and then no one will be able to pull you two apart from each other.”

A servant comes to them now, holding two letters as he approaches the brothers.  He addresses Minseok.  “Letters for you, sir.”

Minseok takes the and thanks the servant who promptly leaves.  Since there is nothing more to do than invade Minseok’s privacy, only a right an annoying younger brother may obtain, looks upon with only a hint of stealth in his movements.  One is from a famous international merchant company from town and one in swirly letters.  Abandoning thought of the first one, Jongin’s eyes narrow on the second, smile forming on his face.  He had never known the name of the sender of those letters, but he is quite familiar with that handwriting.

Jongin takes his time to strike.  “Has the mysterious best friend written to you to say that he is joining us for the vacation season?  From what I recall, he has not been here is quite some time.”

There is no visible reaction in Minseok except him hiding the letter under the first one.  His eldest brother was a proper gentleman in that he was a very private person, even when among his family.  His personal life was his and his alone and Jongin wishes he had been like him.  Their parents asked him over and over again if he would marry Taemin or any number of his friends.  With Minseok, they could not specifically name anyone and therefore not spread gossip about them to anyone who would listen.  This also applied to Minseok’s best friend.

For every vacation season since he was young, his eldest brother would disappear, almost to never see his family unless when he was being tutored.  In the dark of night, away from his parent’s ears, he would tell Jongin stories of his best friend.  There was always a special fondness of his voice, but refused to tell Jongin a name.

Jongin’s favorite story of the two was when the best friend had demanded Minseok marry him when they were five years old.  Both were the eldest and therefore were the target of their parent’s comments about carrying on the family name and marriage.  The best friend’s parents told him that he needed to marry as soon as possible and they had taken it to heart.  They had proposed while playing in the ocean and the speech was ruined when he had been swept away by a wave.  Minseok had laughed so hard before a wave had taken him away as well.

The two always had exchanged letters adorned with either curly messy writing or letters written with clean precision.  Sometimes, Minseok would sometimes get three letters a day as his best friend had so much to say after a new encounter or event.  Mail ran too slow for him.  Minseok was more traditional and wrote less often, but still frequently enough.

When Minseok went to university there was no need for letters between the two as they had been at the same place.  Since Minseok had first gone to school, the best friend had stop visiting during the vacation season.  It had been almost a year since Minseok came back, the first vacation season with him at home, and Jongin could not wait to see if Minseok would disappear again.

“It is always a possibility,” Minseok says as he turns to walk away.  Not done with his teasing, Jongin jumps up to follow him.

“Can I meet him?”  He asks as they walk towards the library.  Minseok never looks angry or annoyed but a small twitch in his nose means Jongin is winning.

“No.”

Jongin pretends to pout.  Minseok liked cute young things and Jongin knew this.  Baekhyun had taught him to pout when they were younger in order to get his way.  This does nothing as Minseok continues to ignore him.  Having lost, Jongin stomps his foot.  “Fine, keep him locked up.  When the day comes when I find out, I will tell everyone!”

Calmly, Minseok retorts, “and then Baekhyun will get some new of yours.”

Mortified, Jongin stops in his tracks as Minseok keeps moving.  “You are evil!  Take your letter and leave!”

 


	3. The Opening Ball

The carriage ride to the first ball of the vacation season has all three sons and cousin packed into a small space with their mother and her gigantic showy dress.  The loud statement dress suited her as she was always the center of attention and filled with gossip to share.  It was a recipe for disaster.

“Another wonderful man whose mother is eager to find a match for is Hakyeon.   I am sure you all remember him fondly.  I do not need to mention his status and kindness as you have met him, but you have not seen him for two seasons.  He has grown to be a beauty, one who the town has been gossiping about and he has decided to vacation here this year,” the woman gushes with large hand gestures in the small space.  All the passengers’ sigh at their lack of interest except for Joonmyun who is listening intently.  Joonmyun, the perfect son in his parent’s eyes, who cannot wait to be courted.

Chanyeol, ever the talker and the dissenter, speaks up first.  “You have said that about the last twenty suitors who are going to be at this ball.”

The woman tuts as she looks offended.  “I am sure one of them will catch your eye.  There are such beautiful people your age.  My entire stay at this ball is packed to the brim with talking to families with children who need to find suitable partners.  There are just so many of them and none of them are not gorgeous.”

“So a normal get together” Chanyeol says.  Before she can retort, Chanyeol keeps going to change the subject.  “There are more to people than looks, Auntie.”

“You can change a person’s personality but not their face,” the woman answers as the carriage comes to a stop in front of the gigantic white house that houses the ball and they all file out and are joined by their father.  “I am determined for all of you to have stable courtships by the end of the season.  There is nothing that can stop me, not even any of you.  Love finds a way.”

“Not if you force it!”  Chanyeol exclaims.

The woman smirks a bit.  “It will when I am involved.”  She turns to her husband.  “I am right, am I not dear?”

The man, just as involved with choosing their suitors, smiles.  “I anticipate it.”

The woman grabs onto Minseok’s elbow as she calls to the others.  “Joonmyun, Chanyeol, Jongin, please stick next to your father.”  They nod as Minseok and his mother are left behind to slowly enter the party.

Minseok feels pained as he realizes that this means a mother-eldest son conversation.  The most dreaded of conversations in Minseok’s life after the father-eldest son conversations and the mother and father-eldest son conversations.  “Mother, please not now.”

The woman shushes him as she speaks to him in a low voice so that no one can hear.  “You are my eldest and through all these years you have not pursued anyone even during your university years.  Never have I even heard to talk of someone whom you wished for us to even consider, even to your brothers.  If you are to inherit the house and keep our family name known than you must find a partner before you turn to old to be undesirable.  Your father and I have found someone whom we think you is perfect for you and you will meet them and if things go our way, which it will, you will have a proposal by the end of the season.”

Minseok refuses to meet his mother’s gaze as he looks ahead, stern.  “If I refuse?”

“Then you are an ungrateful and you are to leave this house and we will be forced to marry Joonmyun off to whomever suitor you reject,” the woman threatens as they walk into the ball.  She is smiling as she acknowledges people she knows as they walk through the crowded fantastical ball room.

Nose twitching, Minseok answers, “fine.”

The ball takes place on the lower floor of the mansion in between eight large rooms that are filled to the brim with upper class figures from town flaunting their wealth through their fashion and words.  A dancing area is in the largest room and is the favorite of young people who are trying to find a suitor or, in some people’s case, Chanyeol and Baekhyun, a good girl or boy from town looking to have some fun. 

The dancing is exhausting and Jongin walks away from yet another flirty girl his mother throws at him.  Always the same, young and frivolous and snotty and wealthy with a high status.  His mother had a type she wanted him to marry and Jongin could not be less interested in them.  Not that his mother cared about what Jongin wanted in a partner.  It was a miracle in Jongin’s mind that he was even able to go to town to be a dancer given with how little he is consulted in how his life is conducted.

He moves towards Joonmyun who is watching from the sidelines, a bit breathless from his own dancing.  His brother looks beautiful even when he is just standing, beautiful and perfect.  A small glance to his brother tells him that his brother is a bit tired as well.  He is about to talk to him when their mother appears out of nowhere, a glass of wine.  “Jongin, why are you not dancing?”

The youngest brother can barely contain his pain when speaking to his mother.  _Just a little bit longer_ , his mind supplies him.  “That was the fourth one today mother.  It is still early into the ball.”

“Stop whining,” his mother says immediately.  “You should be thankful for your face as even just mentioning you has everyone wanting to dance with you.  Has not a one caught your eye?”

“No, Mother.”

The woman motions for a young girl, about Jongin’s age to come from across the dance floor.  “Then this one will!”

Jongin tries to get through the pain as he is forced to make pleasantries with yet another girl as they step onto the dance floor.  It is worse because he knows that this is one of Chanyeol’s flings from two years ago and Chanyeol has the worst taste in women.  Not that his mother would know anything about that.

With her youngest set, the woman turned to her middle child.  The last she had seen of him was when he talking to a good friend of his which she had accepted because he was single and beautiful and wealthy.  Joonmyun would never date Minho but his mother did not need to know that.  “Why are you not dancing?  The country is lined up to dance with you.”

Joonmyun knows, he is reminded constantly as they continue to ask them.  As much as he loves to indulge them, _this one might be the one_ , his feet are aching.  “I am just resting.”

His mother frowns as she pushes him to the dance floor.  “Rest while moving those feet.”

Chanyeol escapes his aunt and uncle the minute he walks into the ball and quickly finds Baekhyun and Kyungsoo hanging out in a corner of the room adjacent to the main ball room.  Baekhyun, knowing Chanyeol’s family’s obsession, stands in front of him with Kyungsoo in order to try and conceal him from their watchful gaze.  Chanyeol always finds this amusing as how short his best friend is, but appreciates the gesture.

Baekhyun sighs as he scans the room.  “I feel as if I have slept with the majority of those at this ball.”

“At least the pretty ones who are not prudes,” Chanyeol responds.  He keeps looking around and recognizes too many people for his liking.  How is he supposed to have a vacation fling if there was no one new around?

Baekhyun makes a clicking noise with his tongue as he finishes his glass of wine.  “That is what I mean.”

As always, Chanyeol tries to stay optimistic.  “The plain ones might be nice as well.”

This brings a chuckle out of Baekhyun.  “I am sure, but I will settle for nothing less than the best.”

Chanyeol immediately responds, “but I am right here.”

Baekhyun looks to him with wide eyes as they stare at each other for a minute before laughing a bit too loudly.  Kyungsoo scoffs at this nonsense.  “You two are unbelievable.”

“Have you been with her?”   Chanyeol asks Baekhyun at a passing girl who had been dancing with Jongin not only a few minutes ago.  Baekhyun considers as he tries to think if he had.  “She was quite nice for a night.”

“Did her conversations bore you?”  Chanyeol shrugs because truthfully, he does not even remember.  Baekhyun drowns his glass as he walks forward.  “Might as well.”

This leaves Chanyeol alone with Kyungsoo who frowns as he tries to blend into the wall.  Chanyeol thinks Kyungsoo is too beautiful with that face and those eyes to truly blend in anywhere.  Baekhyun was not joking when he had said that Kyungsoo was unhappy being at large gatherings.  He takes small sips of wine but it seems to do nothing to alleviate his situation.  Five seconds after Baekhyun leaves, Kyungsoo turns to him.  “You are more foul than him.”

“How could you come to that conclusion?”  Chanyeol asks.  There was not a single doubt in his mind that Baekhyun’s morals were worse than his in every single manner he could think of.  He also berates himself a bit for sounding a bit confrontational.  He was trying to woo Kyungsoo, not fight with him.

“You only give thought to people’s bodies when deciding to sleep with them,” Kyungsoo answers, a tad disgusted.

“I am sleeping with them, not courting them,” Chanyeol answers immediately, a tad defensive.  Did Kyungsoo know how often he fought with his aunt about how he does not want to marry some dumb doll?  The festering and the alcohol made his lips a bit too loose.  “At least I am not a prude, like you.”  Immediately, Chanyeol wants to apologize for that comment, but Kyungsoo is already arguing back.

“I want someone’s mind and everyone I have encountered at these balls seem to all have nonexistent brains, including you,” Kyungsoo says, annoyed.  Chanyeol is about to immediately retort with a scathing comment, but steps back a bit.  Something in the small man’s voice betrayed something of along the lines of frustration.  It made Chanyeol wonder if he _was_ trying to find the right person, even if he was doing a poor job of doing so.  Even so, Chanyeol cannot let his pride be hurt more by this man.

“I am not an empty minded,” Chanyeol says as he tries to think of something to impress the small man.  “I was to go to university, _your university_ , but I was more skilled in hunting and bookkeeping and my uncle did not see why I needed to attend university to learn those skills.”  A bit of the bitterness seeps into his words as much as he tries to hide it.  Kyungsoo does not comment on it if he noticed, but Chanyeol knows even in this short amount of time that Kyungsoo is an amazing observer.

Instead, Kyungsoo scoffs.  “Hunting is for brutes and anyone can bookkeep.”

Chanyeol thinks back to Baekhyun’s letters and tries to pull some useful information about Kyungsoo out of them.  “Not all of us aspire to academia.”

Surprised, Kyungsoo rises an eyebrow.  Seems that Kyungsoo’s pursuit to be a professor was not a commonly known fact.  “Did Baekhyun tell you?”

“Says you would not even look at a naked body if it was lying there for you to take unless it was laying on a pile of your notes,” Chanyeol says.  It is a direct quote from Baekhyun from about two years ago.

Kyungsoo makes a noise of frustration. as he feels as if the argument had just gone full circle.  The frustration makes the short man look cute to Chanyeol as he smiles a bit to himself.  “Do I have to remind you that I would like more than just a body?”

Before he can help himself, Chanyeol goes for it, “but how could others want to know your mind when you have a body like yours?”  All short and compact and cute.

Revulsion and shock intermingle on Kyungsoo’s face at the statement as he takes a step back and puts down his wine.  “That was the most forward anyone has ever been with me and now I will never be able to not see you as repugnant.”

Not well received, Chanyeol tries to change tactics a little bit.  “Maybe you should change your mind about me.”  He holds out a hand to the small man.  “Dance with me?”

Kyungsoo glares in response.

On the other side of the dance floor, Jongin dances with another girl that his mother has picked out for him.  The girl is pretty with a small button nose and blonde curly hair.  Her father is some merchant in town, the same company Minseok’s letter is from, so his family must do business with them of some sort.  Her mouth never stops moving as she blabbers about her father’s work and her vacation here so far.  She takes over five minutes to tell him a story of how one of her servants forgot one of her chests of clothes.

She dances adequately, but not well.  Her dancing is nowhere near Jongin’s level, few are, but she mentioned early on that she did not care for dancing and Jongin tuned her out after that.  It was a shame because she was doing everything she could to press up against him and make herself more appealing or him. He wonders if he can introduce her to Chanyeol and be a good wingman and cousin.

His eyes wonder to Minseok who was in the corner of the room, talking to an old family friend who used to be an accountant in town before of his children took ill and moved out to the village in order to get some fresh air.  He sees his parents approach him with what must be who Minseok’s arranged partner is to be.  Jongin almost laughs as he sees Amber, a girl whom all of this brothers and cousin have known for years and who is one of Minseok’s good friends.  They are introduced and he can see the pair laughing at the situation and Amber refusing to get married to Minseok, or anyone.  As Amber leaves, he sees his parents furiously talking to Minseok who ends up walking out of the ball.  He will have to deal with that later.

Joonmyun dances with an older man near him.  His eye narrows on Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s dormmate in some sort of argument but he does not linger as he eyes catch on Baekhyun dancing with a girl not much different than the one he is paired with.

Gracefully, he sweeps though the other dancers, light on his feet.  A small charming smile extenuating his joy.  His smiles always seem to light up whatever room he was in.  Except this was not a genuine smile and Jongin knew that.  This was a smile to trick his partner into bed and it was working.  Jongin watched his long delicate hands that were gently holding his partner.  Those fingers were always a source of distraction for Jongin since he admired them a few vacation seasons ago.  Baekhyun had taken his hand to walk him home after he had been pushed down a hill during a familial spat with Chanyeol.

The dance comes to an end and the girl takes his elbow as she complains about the heat as they take a break.  It was her own fault coming to the beach town in the heat of summer in long sleeves and a long dress in thick material.  She drags him to a corner of the room so that she can talk his ear off.  With patience waning, Jongin continues to watch Baekhyun on the other side of the room as the ball reaches its peak.  The girl he is with has her hands on his chest and mouth on his ears.  It is a scene that Jongin has seen over and over with Baekhyun and yet…

“Come meet my friends,” Jongin’s partner says.  Before he knows it, three similarly dressed girls surround him.  They speak in shrills as they coo over him.  His face is so handsome and he has the perfect body, everything he has heard before. Despite his uncomfortableness, he smiles like a gentleman and greets them.  They start to talk to each other of the fashion at the ball who they know from town and Jongin feels like he needs air when they talk of the heat.  He leaves them with an excuse to talk to his brother, either of them, and an empty promise to come back.

They follow him.

Jongin can see it from the corner of his eyes.  He flits from one crowded room to the next.  Still, they are trying to be stealthy but end up with giggling loudly.  A bit anxious, Jongin walks back to the ballroom with speed and but finds a secluded study in which he goes to hide.  It is empty and off limits to the guests of the party, but he ends up behind long red drapes.  Their feet open the door but a quick scan has them closing it.  Dumbfounded, Jongin finds himself surprised that this childish plan worked.  He felt himself able to breathe until another pair of footsteps come in.  It is the feet of a man stopping in front of the drapes.  An apology is ripe on Jongin’s lips.

“What are you doing?”  Baekhyun asks as he closes the door behind him.  For some reason, it is not in much of a confused tone but a humorous one.

Jongin comes up with an excuse, but ends up telling small part of the truth instead of an outright lie.  “I was just catching my breath.”

A small chuckle.  “Behind the drapes?”

“Yes?”  Jongin tries to say but it comes out as anything but believable.  He steps out from behind the drapes to a genuinely smiling Baekhyun who is looking like he about to burst out laughing.

“Well,” Baekhyun begins, flipping a hand away.  “It was always your favorite hiding spot.  You were always the easiest to find.”

Surprised, Jongin remembers the hide and seek games they used to play with his family.  Baekhyun was a great player, shoving his small body like a contortionist into small dark places.  “You were always the hardest.”

“I was good, was I not?”  Baekhyun laughs.  He outstretches his hand and offers it to the younger man.  “Come on, let us rejoin the party.  If we are lucky, those girls will have given up on you and found some other poor lonely chap to find.  I _had_ given them the suggestion that Chanyeol seemed to be without a partner and they did go over his way.” 

His smile turns devilish. Jongin laughs as his heart beats loudly in his chest as he takes the hand.  Feels those long delicate fingers around his and lets Baekhyun lead him back to the party.

Joonmyun dances with an older suitor who had approached him for a dance.  He was an uptight man and he was old and droopy.  His lips came to his ear in the middle of the dance and his hold refused to let him go.  “I am one of the wealthiest men in town and with someone of your looks and popularity by my side would be most beneficial for both of us financially.  A boy like you is nice to dress up.”

Feeling his lips for a straight line, Joonmyun forces out, “like a doll?”

“The most beautiful doll in town,” the man says with a smile.  Joonmyun escapes him at the first opportunity that he gets.  The man is not the first older suitor that has approached him nor the worst.  All sorts of men and women come up to him with fascination that _this_ is the man that the town is all a buzzed about.  They appreciate him and then two things happen.  They are either creepy, slimy, ugly people who ask him to run away with him or politely thank him for the dance and walk away from his life forever, never to be seen again.  Luckily he mostly does not get the first but gets plenty of the second.  He is a commodity, a fad, someone to brag about meeting but not keep in contact with.

And there lies Joonmyun’s biggest problem.  He is the jewel of the country that people want to look at but not marry.  There was nothing he aspired to more than to be married and run a house to the best of his ability.  With Minseok inheriting the family house as the eldest, Joonmyun wished for a beautiful, wealthy, interesting suitor to come and sweep him off his feet.  And yet, no one looked at him like that.

He feels hopeless that no one is watching him right now, he should be _betted_ and _fought_ over with so many suitors asking for his hand that he could not even choose among them.  Yet, here he was near the small displays of desserts in the back room of the party where few people hung about.  This small display of desserts would not be at a formal ball but this was just the welcoming ball and nowhere near the dances to come during the season.  He is mostly alone as the ball seems to be coming to its final stages.

He sneaks a couple of small cakes, vanilla, by swiping them quickly with his long billowing sleeves and hiding them in his coat pocket.  He is not to have more than one tonight, it is improper for someone of his status to indulge in sweets, and his parents have been restricting his intake of them.  Facing the wall, nibbling in the shadow, he finds himself next to a man.  He is quite nice looking, chin well defined, clothes obviously of a high caliber.  The man was facing towards the ball and away from him.  Joonmyun, finding it safe starts to lick the remaining icing from his fingers but when he looks up he finds the man staring at him.

There is silence.

“Pardon me,” Joonmyun says quickly, wiping his fingers on a napkin from the table quickly and patting his mouth.  He tries to salvage the situation as the man looks at him curiously.  Thoughts of how his image being defamed and the detestable rumors swirl around his head.  “May I help you?”

“Is it good?”  The man asks.  With the question, Joonmyun feels himself slipping from his perfect image.  He is flustered and embarrassed and he wishes to leave this conversation but this man is blocking his way.  He wonders quickly if he could ask the man to forget everything he just saw and salvage even a fraction of his image.

“Excuse me?”  Joonmyun hopes his voice is steady, it is not but he is not above lying to himself or anyone else for his image.

The man smiles a bit, a cheeky grin, like a cat.  His eyebrows jump up and down.  “Is the cake good?”

“What cake?”  Joonmyun denies immediately, embarrassment spreading through his cheeks as the man chuckles.  The man walks towards the desserts table and picks up one of the small cakes with the white frosting and a small red rose on top indicating the vanilla ones.  The man has a smile just like the Cheshire cat from Joonmyun stories when he was young.

The man picks up one of the cakes.  “This one.”  He holds it out to Joonmyun.  “Would you like some?”

Straightening up, Joonmyun shakes his head.  “I must decline.”

“Are you sure?”  The man asks with his eyebrows raised and the smile getting bigger.  “I have it on good faith that you enjoy these immensely.”

Joonmyun cannot tell if this man is mocking or teasing him.  “I apologize but I must decline.”

The man takes a bite of cake instead.  “Ah, vanilla, so perfect on the outside, so beautiful, the epitome of perfection.  _Yet_ , so plain on the inside.”

Not able to not take this personally Joonmyun feels insulted.  “You should not eat what you do not like.”

“Who says I do not like it?”  The man laughs, unrestrained.  He looks beautiful.  “I have not introduced myself, how careless.”  He bows.  “Kim Jongdae.”

The name means nothing to Joonmyun, but Joonmyun is a gentleman.  “Kim Joonmyun.”

The evil smile is back on the man’s face.  “I know who you are.  I have yet to meet anyone who has spent any amount of time in these parts to not know of you.  Good words, I assure you.  I would even go as far as to say, perfect words.”

“I am flattered,” Joonmyun says automatically.  It is the proper thing to say.  As Jongdae finishes the small cake, a small remnant of icing remains on his fingers.  With a small chuckle and without his eyes leaving Joonmyun, he sticks his fingers in his mouth and pulls it out slowly, soft lips wrapped around it, and finishing with a pop as the finger comes out clean.  Joonmyun stares with a complete look of shock on his face.

The man smirks as he holds his other hand out for Joonmyun to take.  “Would you like to accompany me for a dance?”

How could Joonmyun say no to that?

Baekhyun had led Jongin to Chanyeol and introduced him to Kyungsoo.  It seemed that Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were in the middle of a spat but Baekhyun did not seem to be too worried about it.  He even told Jongin that he thinks the two of them are getting along well.  The ball is coming to a close as Jongin’s father taps him on the shoulder as he passes.  He practically has to drag Chanyeol away from Kyungsoo and Baekhyun as they say their goodbyes.  He also finds Joonmyun on the way, listening to a stranger talking to him about the infirmary that he volunteers at.  Joonmyun politely tells the man his goodbyes with Jongin and Chanyeol not in earshot and they pile into the carriage with their mother.  Minseok is notably absent from his earlier walk out as a form of protest against his parents.

Their mother is jovial and drunk as she gushes over her evening with her friends and gossip from town about people that did not interest any of the younger company.  She does lean over to take Joonmyun’s hands at one point.  “My dear son!  I see you have spent some time with Kim Jongdae.  I must say you have made a good choice!  You two looked so well together.”

Joonmyun’s face goes a bit red at his mother’s forwardness as he looks to Chanyeol and Jongin.  “Mother!”

“Shush now!  I saw you two in conversation with each other.  Kim Jongdae is the son of a prominent building owner in the medical field.  Very rich and lives in town.  I believe he is also a doctor if I recall.  Anyways, he is an utmost important bachelor.  He looked absolutely enamored by your presence.  Your looks and talents should eat him right up.”  His mother talks fast and slurs a bit of her words but Joonmyun is glad she is drunk so that she cannot see his face light up at the last sentence.

“Mother, we just talked,” Joonmyun says in order to try and insert a least a bit of propriety back into the conversation. After a second he asks, he realizes his mother’s words and face burned.  Did Jongdae really look at him like that?  Was it like when he ate the icing off his finger, because if it was, then Joonmyun should have no problem with getting a courtship out of him.  Please and a bit blissed out, he looks out the window.

The woman talks to both Chanyeol and Jongin of her disappointment of not having the luck of their perfect brother.  Jongin almost laughs at this.  She cannot even notice the sorry state of Chanyeol’s hair and the hastiness of the buttoning of his shirt.  Chanyeol had thanked Baekhyun for sending some of Jongin’s girls with a laugh.  If his aunt could get Chanyeol married by the end of this vacation season it would take a miracle.


	4. The Morning After

The day after the ball has Chanyeol visiting Baekhyun and Kyungsoo at the marble table on Baekhyun’s veranda.  It was a gorgeous day and there was snacks to snack on and scones for Baekhyun and fruit wine to drink to get over the hangovers that Chanyeol and Baekhyun still had. 

First thing on the agenda was Chanyeol telling the story of the girls that Baekhyun had brought over for him to talk to.  He had only slept with one in a study on the second floor, the one that was not Jongin’s Baekhyun noted.  He ranted about how she was one of those girls who did no work and wanted all the pleasure.  Baekhyun giggled throughout the story as Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.  “Just look at her, spend one conversation with her, and you would know she was just like all those other girls that come from money and are in town.  Not a thing in their heads,” Baekhyun says as he takes a sip of wine.

“How did that girl you were dancing with go?”  Chanyeol asked him and Kyungsoo almost spilled his wine as he snorted making Chanyeol look at him curiously.  “That poorly?”

Just mentioning the girl made Baekhyun’s blood boil in a way that made him feel so hot that only wine could pacify him.  He takes a long drink and a bite of scone as he clears his throat as Kyungsoo answers in the meantime.  “He was so angry the whole entire way home from the ball.  Face so red for something that he knows that he is not good at.”

“I am too!” Baekhyun exclaims, a bit of anger thrown in.

Chanyeol chuckles. “I knew you were always bluffing about being good in bed.”

Baekhyun throws a small cake from the table at his best friend’s head.  “I will have you know I am a great in bed and you have had people tell you that I am better than _you_ may I remind you.”

This makes Kyungsoo smile and laugh.  Baekhyun had never seen someone get so happy from the demise of others which was why he knew that he would take to Chanyeol immediately since his best friend’s life seemed to be a series of unfortunate disasters.  Kyungsoo looks to him.  “How many people?”

“We were at a party two years ago when we took a survey with everyone we had slept with there and I came out on top,” Baekhyun explains.  “It was sad and it was even suggested that I need to give Chanyeol some advice being his best friend and all.”

At that last sentence, Chanyeol feels a bit nauseous.  “The thought of sleeping with you makes me want to drain this glass.”

Baekhyun holds up his empty one as he easily returns the insult.  “The thought of sleeping with someone so inept compared to me made me already drain my glass.”

Taking the bottle from Kyungsoo, Baekhyun starts to fill his glass anew, anger a bit subsided from the small topic change.  “The girl would not stop talking of your youngest cousin and how gracefully he glided around the dance floor and told me that if I wanted to sleep with her that I needed to be more like Jongin.”

“I must be better at flirting because she was quite an easy catch from what I remember,” Chanyeol says.  “Must be my height.”

There is a dangerous glare in Baekhyun’s eyes.  “Do not go there right now.”

“If Jongin can dance like you say he can then she must be some type of scorned lover,” Kyungsoo says as he sips his wine.

“I have never seen Jongin with anyone nor does he tell stories of those he admires.  If anything, I think he only has experience with himself and his best friend whom I think is going to the same company as him,” Chanyeol says before an idea forms and he smiles.  “Why do you not go ask my cousin for lessons.  His love of dance is unequal to anyone and he has taught all of us in the house by now.”

At the idea, Chanyeol can see Baekhyun smile a bit at the idea as he considers it as he gobbles down another scone.  At this point, Chanyeol is a bit concerned for his best friend’s love of the pastries and his health.  A silent look to Kyungsoo tells him that Kyungsoo has noticed and thinks the same.  Baekhyun finishes and drinks some of the wine to wash the scone down.  “I might as well while I am here.  I can just imagine now all of the people waiting for me to sweep them off their feet.”

“Do not get carried away now,” Kyungsoo says.  “I remember you saying the same thing when you picked up the violin a couple of winters ago.”

Chanyeol perks up at this.  “You were so excited to take lessons from your teacher in your letters, but as soon as you visited you would not even touch the instrument.  Is there a reason for that?”

“Whomever came up with the violin did the world a disservice.  It is such a dull instrument and can never hold up to my voice.  I do not know who would praise such a useless thing,” Baekhyun rambles as he takes another sip of wine and trying to hide his bitter tone.  He turns to Kyungsoo and toasts him, “Oh, that is right, one of them is right here.”

The younger boy lets the comment go unnoticed.  “He spent one month obsessed with it and realized that it was much too hard and did not come as naturally as singing and therefore forfeited,” Kyungsoo explains as he hides his smile at his dormmate’s words.

At this, Baekhyun sits up immediately as his voice raises in protest.  “My voice is beyond anything than some instrument can play and therefore it was useless to train something that would never measure up to my natural talent!”

“You threw a fit.”

“I did not!” Baekhyun exclaims as he crosses his arms and deflates into his chair with a frown.  “Not all of us are blessed with instrumental talents like you two.”

“Us two?” Chanyeol asks curiously as he looks to Kyungsoo.  “Have you taken up an instrument?”

“I primarily sing,” Kyungsoo begins, “but I also play the piano and a bit of the violin.  And what do you play with your big clumsy hands?”

A small giggle comes out of Baekhyun as Chanyeol narrows his eyes a bit.  “Only the piano.”

At this Baekhyun’s giggles increase in volume before he intervenes as he fully turns to Kyungsoo.  “For someone with such a large ego, Chanyeol is being modest.  You may be technically proficient when given music but Chanyeol creates it!”

A small twitch of the eyebrow on Kyungsoo’s face and Chanyeol is already ready to assume that this is the most impressed that he has been at the man since he has come to the village.  “I would not take you as a composer.”

“It is not something I partake in often,” Chanyeol says as he drinks his wine.

Baekhyun snorts.  “That is a lie.”

“You must play for us one day,” Kyungsoo says.  Chanyeol is taken aback at the bold request and so is Baekhyun by the look of it as he straightens up a bit while draining the rest of the glass.  There is a bit of a flush forming on Chanyeol’s cheeks and he hopes that he can blame the alcohol.

Thankfully, a servant comes at this time from the house with Chanyeol’s youngest cousin behind him.  Jongin says something to the servant, which sounds like words of gratitude, before approaching the table.  “I do not wish to disturb you but our parents are receiving Lord and Lady Song in about an hour.”

At that, Chanyeol stands up immediately as he looks for his bag.  “My bag is inside.  I will go fetch it, Baekhyun has something to ask you.”

As his cousin goes inside, Jongin waits for Baekhyun to say something under the watchful gaze of his dormmate that Chanyeol had talked about in detail last night.  Baekhyun looks up to him lazily, having a bit of wine, and there is a bit of crumbs on his lips.  He looks beautiful.

“My dancing abilities have come into question and I will need to have them confirmed by someone at a high caliber that they are positively flawless,” Baekhyun says.  “Will you be able to do that for me?”

“Of course,” Jongin says a bit too fast as he catches himself.  The man in front of him seems to not have noticed due to the alcohol but Kyungsoo seems to raise an eyebrow at that.  First impressions and he had already embarrassed himself in front of the dormmate.  Thankfully, Chanyeol comes out and Jongin has an excuse to be whisked away before embarrassing himself further.


	5. The Infirmary

Joonmyun likes to keep busy and since his mother takes care of the estate he was told that volunteering was something that could not only busy his mind but also help in finding a suitor.  There were not many options in the small village, so he volunteered at the local infirmary, as most who were charitable seemed to overlook the place.  During his time he has found that he enjoys helping others and guiding them to better health.

During his younger days, he had not only been taught about how to be a gentleman tutored school subjects like history and mathematics as well.  He was severely accomplished in literature and the arts, but he did not go on to further pursue them in a university.  He kept up with his painting and piano but was determined to be a true gentleman and gentlemen do not work which is what would be expected of him if he went on with his schooling.

Even during the vacation season, he takes a bit of time to volunteer.  Just because there was a fun event going on in the village did not mean he did not have obligations that he put on himself.  So, he found himself organizing the stockroom with a new shipment of supplies.  

Focusing on a task had never been this hard for Joonmyun as he recalls his conversation with Jongdae at the ball.  The man was a doctor and had been thrilled to hear that Joonmyun had taken upon himself to be such a help at the infirmary.  These past few days have seen him in such a forgetful state.  Never has any suitor talked to him so long or not ridiculed him for eating icing off his hands!  Granted, that last part hardly came up in normal conversation.  The only other person may have been a servant and Minseok at one point.  Both reactions the same, acknowledgement and a simple walk in the other direction as they tried to forget about it.

He is bringing one of the patients some medicine when the front doors open and Jongdae comes in.  Cheekbones shimmering and poised, the man seemed to be talking to their one and only doctor on the premises.  Many come from town to look after their patients but the doctor is the only one who lives in the village. 

Joonmyun cannot help but stare and ridicules himself for doing so as Jongdae meets his eyes.  They are not surprised but a small teasing smirk is on his lips.  He continues to speak to the doctor but when the old man turns to gesture at a patient, Jongdae looks at him and brings a finger up to his mouth for his tongue to slowly lick up the length of his ring finger.

Flustered, Joonmyun almost spills the medicine, but manages to recover.  He cannot say the same for his strawberry blush on his cheeks or his patients questioning glances.  When Joonmyun is done, he goes to the stockroom to hide.  What he does not expect is that twenty minutes later, Jongdae coming in and sitting right beside him.

“Have you come to see the infirmary?” Joonmyun asks nonchalantly as he tries to not look at the beautiful man and focus on his work.  He does everything he can to appear as if the earlier event did not happen.  “It must not be as big as the one in town but we make do here.”

“You talked of this place with such passion how could I not visit?  As soon as I arrived I was swept up by the doctor but he was called upon by an elder woman.”

Joonmyun sighs as he realizes just whom he talking about.  “Lady Choi?”

“I believe so,” Jongdae answers, snapping his fingers at the same time.

“Half of Lady Choi’s ailments are a mystery while the other half are just a fantasy,” Joonmyun explains.  During this time, he realizes how small the stockroom is and tries to make himself a bit smaller as to feel not as many butterflies in his stomach.

Jongdae nods along.  “My concerns have been ameliorated, but it does leave me without seeing the whole infirmary.  Might you take some time to show me?”

Despite his butterflies, Joonmyun could not turn down such an offer as it would be very rude.  But, Joonmyun finds that he also just wants to spend more time with Jongdae so he stands up slowly with a smile and starts the tour.

It takes Joonmyun close to an hour to explain the function and history of the infirmary.  The tour was a much-needed distraction as Joonmyun had been volunteering since he was young and knew everything about it.  He was comfortable giving a tour and tried to immerse himself in that instead of focusing on Jongdae.  During the tour, he talks of his duties and the different types of patients that they have had.

Jongdae was quiet during the history lesson but asked some questions about Joonmyun’s work and some about the practices that went on here, as he was a doctor and well versed in this sort of work.  Joonmyun’s mother had said something about his father owning a hospital so Joonmyun would not be surprised if Jongdae had grown up surrounded by the medical field.  The man listens intently throughout the tour.

The tour concludes outside in the small grassy area that patients sometimes sat in order to get some clean, fresh air.  Joonmyun sits down and Jongdae sits next to him as Joonmyun finishes up talking about the old doctor’s work.  When he finishes, there is only a moment of silence before Jongdae asks, “Why do you volunteer here?”

“I enjoy keeping myself busy,” Joonmyun starts out.  “This place always needs help and it pleases me to work while interacting with different people.”  He turns to Jongdae.  “What about yourself?  How did you become a doctor?”

“My father owns a few hospitals; I am sure someone has mentioned it to you by now.  It was expected of me to become a doctor and then I did,” Jongdae says as he leans back into the stony bench.  “But it is challenging and I have come to find some joy in my work.”

Joonmyun launches into a story about the infirmary and loses track of time but Jongdae does not seem to mind.  It is not long before Joonmyun must take his leave for the day but he manages to leave Jongdae with a smile.


	6. Pressure

Excitement drums through Jongin’s body as he makes his way to the front door to leave to go to Baekhyun’s house.  The fact that he had asked Jongin to meet him in private for lessons was something that made his heart flutter.  Alone time with Baekhyun, Jongin could not even fathom it before the last ball. 

His eldest brother is writing a letter in the room next to the front door and stops him.  “Where are you headed off to?”

“To visit upon Baekhyun,” Jongin says quickly and hopes that Minseok is too busy with his writing than with his answer.  This was too much to hope for as the man looks up with a smile.

“You are being called upon by Baekhyun?”  Minseok asks like an interested mother before wiggling his eyebrows.  Jongin could not understand how his brother could so easily mock him.

“Yes, he asked me for some advice on a personal matter,” Jongin says, trying to keep composure under Minseok’s evil smile.  “Do not do that thing with your eyebrows.”

The elder laughs.  “As long as your happy.”

“I am sure we will just be as happy as you will be with Amber,” Jongin mocks.

“Did you not hear?  Amber has managed to pull out of the marriage?  Seems to be something about how just because you are friends with someone does not mean that you love them,” Minseok says sarcastically.

Jongin’s smiles in response.  “I am sure mother will find someone else for you.”

“Our parents want me to inherit the house and settle down and before a true gentleman who hunts and entertains.  They want me to keep this house forever and give them children so that the family will live on.  They tell me that without me that if I do not that they will make sure to defame me in the city and make it so that I am excommunicated with this family including you and Joonmyun and Chanyeol,” Minseok says with a sigh, venting a bit.  Jongin thinks he needs it.  He may be a private person but this is a family matter and Jongin cannot believe the pressure that they are putting on Minseok’s shoulders.

Minseok starts up again.  “The worst part is, and do keep this a secret my dear brother, that I do not need their money or their support.  I have been offered a job in town for a large international trading company in town that would allow me to live quite comfortable and not lower my station in life.”

At this surprising news, Jongin goes to take Minseok’s hands as the elder’s eyes widen.  “Take it!  Take it and escape from this village, from mother and father.  Live your life as you wish!  Joonmyun, Chanyeol, and I will find a way to talk to you.  We would still love you and support you if you left.”

“I cannot risk the rumors that our parents may send out to reach the company’s ears,” Minseok says.  “I am the eldest and I should be able to deal with the pressures that it entails.”

“I wish Joonmyun was born first,” Jongin says.  “He looks to stay here and I have heard him time and time again saying that he wishes that he could have the house.”

“I wish I could give it to him,” Minseok says.  He looks to Jongin and smiles as he goes to rough up his hair.  “Go to Baekhyun’s and let him lift your spirits.”


	7. Compositions

When Chanyeol arrives at Baekhyun’s house, a servant tells him that he is with Jongin and at this Chanyeol cannot help but smirk.  His best friend may talk as if he has won competitions with his dancing but he only a bit better than average, Chanyeol will begrudgingly admit.  He, himself, was downright atrocious and only does not embarrass himself on the dancefloor by staying off it or sticking to the one dance Jongin spent a whole season with him on.

Even upon hearing this, he does not leave like the servant expects.  He enters the house when he hears a soft melody playing from the parlor.  Knowing his way to the familiar piano, he finds Kyungsoo sitting at it, playing a well-known complicated song with ease.  He waits until the man is finished, enjoying the song before letting himself be known. 

The other does not seem surprised to see him there.  “It has been only a week and I seem to already be accustomed to your habit of appearing whenever and wherever you wish.”

“That is a relief to hear,” Chanyeol says as he takes a seat near the piano.  “I would not want to be with someone who could not adapt to my most basic trait almost immediately.”

Kyungsoo gives out a frustrated sigh.  “As if I would want to be with you.”

“It is alright if you do as so many others do,” Chanyeol consoles him.  At the other man’s disgusted face, Chanyeol laughs as he lets the subject drop for now.  He has had his fun.  “You play flawlessly.”

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo says begrudgingly, not letting the emotions of the earlier subject fade just because he was complimented.  “This one took me a while to get just right and it took me several months to perfect.”

Chanyeol chuckles for reasons that Kyungsoo cannot figure out.  “It is technically flawless but I would say that it feels a bit flat.”

The shorter man frowns.  Was Chanyeol just not complimenting him just a few moments ago?  “In what way would you say the song is flat when it is technically flawless.”

“It is lacking in something,” Chanyeol says as he sits at the piano bench next to Kyungsoo.  The next thing he does is instruct the shorter man.  “Play a small part.”

Kyungsoo does so with no faults to be found.  Afterwards, Chanyeol plays the same part, obviously familiar with the song.  This time, Kyungsoo does hear a bit of difference.  Chanyeol does not play the notes perfectly, but manipulates the piece with pauses that changes the sound just enough.  He does not want to admit it, but it sounds very good.  It is not that much better than his but it _is_ better.  Chanyeol tsks.  “You need to put a bit of emotion in it.

“And how would I accomplish such a thing?” Kyungsoo asks.

“You have to feel the emotion, although I feel you will have some trouble with it,” Chanyeol says frankly.  “Even when you speak it is no better than if you were a talking corpse or if you were reciting tax amendments.”

“Just because I am not loud does not mean I do not have emotions,” Kyungsoo huffs.  The taller man snorts.

“I admit, the different forms of anger and annoyance come through loud and clear,” Chanyeol says mockingly.  “Maybe you should stick to songs about revenge or of that nature.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.  “How can I keep my annoyance in check when you are in the same room as me?  I can assure you that I have other emotions.”

“Alright, you can prove it by playing joyfully,” Chanyeol challenges.  As much fun as it is to see Kyungsoo angry, and cute he must admit, it would be nice to see Kyungsoo act happily.

The shorter man stares at the piano as he thinks of something but seems to be unable to find happiness in any of his emotions even when he tries to trick himself.  When challenged, Kyungsoo felt a bit threatened and his only response to that would be anger.  The only other emotion he could identify in himself with Chanyeol around was irritation with a tinge of sadness.  Within a minute he forfeits the fight.  “I cannot seem to think of any other emotion with you.”

“One day it will be between admiration and adoration,” Chanyeol says with a smirk as Kyungsoo roughly shoves him off the bench.  It was an improper move but Chanyeol is certainly not being proper right now. 

“You will be waiting forever for that.”

Looking for a subject change, Kyungsoo suddenly remembers Baekhyun’s earlier comments about the tall man’s original works.  “How about you play something of yours?”

This changes Chanyeol’s mood immediately as he hops up and sits down at the bench.  Kyungsoo makes sure to take up the seat next to the piano and out of the way before Chanyeol can sit next to him.  The taller man immediately starts to play with a focus that Kyungsoo has never seen the scatterbrained man do.  The song was captivating and it brought out a sense of nostalgia.  Kyungsoo let himself be lost in the song and tried as hard as he could to not outwardly appear to be enjoying it.  The last thing he needed was for Chanyeol to believe that he had any sway on his emotions.


	8. An Exquisite Waltz

A servant greets Jongin as he makes it known that he is here to see Baekhyun.  He is lead to the back of the house, piano music filling the air.  When he passes the parlor, he tries to wave to Kyungsoo, but only gets a raised eyebrow in return.  First impression did not go so well and the second impression went just as badly.  Awkwardly, he puts his hand down.  The uncomfortable feeling is mostly gone when he arrives to the familiar green grounds, blooming from the summertime.  The day is gorgeous, bright and sunny with just a hint of wind.

Baekhyun stands on his patio on the railing next to where the table was that Jongin had last seen him at with his cousin and the dormmate.  The man is drinking a glass of wine in light clothing that is primarily made up of creams.  Jongin could not think of a time that he has not seen the man in something dark, but he was not complaining at this moment.

“There you are! I was afraid that you may have thought this meaningless and not have come,” Baekhyun says as he approaches Jongin.  This space seems to be where they are dancing and it is good since it is a relatively large space without any obstacles.  It would just be like a ballroom at a party, stone floors and all.

Jongin blinks up at the man.  “You made Chanyeol tell me to not forget and you know how persistent my cousin is.”

“My plan worked then!” Baekhyun exclaims as he takes one more drink and before he sets it down, offers it to Jongin.  “Would you care for some?  Drinks always seem to find me when I am near any type of dancing so I thought it appropriate for now.”

Jongin does not want to refuse so he takes only a small sip.  When he had auditioned for the ballet it came up that the dancers were ‘encouraged’ to not drink in order to perfect their skills.  The lost of a social crutch will be felt on Jongin in the coming months but the feeling of town and ballet will surely make up for it.

They start off with a popular dance that is not that difficult just to gauge where Baekhyun is at in terms of skill.  It dawns on Jongin at that moment that he will have to be Baekhyun’s partner.  Never has he felt anything but comfortable while dancing as it was second nature to him, yet here was Baekhyun to help him out of his comfort zone.  Luckily, the dances are ingrained in his memory and he will not have any trouble with the steps.

It is not like he has no understanding of Baekhyun’s skill level entirely.  He has seen the man dance enough.   He was good, but not great, and he liked to put a bit of a spin on things.  A longer glide when there was a musical pause or a hand kept on the shoulder just a bit too long.  It did not take long for Jongin to realize that he was a flirtatious dancer even when he was not consciously flirting.

“Am I the best dancer that you have been with?” Baekhyun asks as he pulls away.  Before Jongin can respond, he laughs.  “Do not make that face!  I know I cannot be as good as someone like Taemin or anything.”  There was a pause, a hesitant voice.  “It was not outright atrocious, right?”

“It is not atrocious at all!” Jongin says quickly.  There is a sense of shock to his system when he realizes that Baekhyun would let down his confident persona around him.  Chanyeol would talk sometimes to Joonmyun in defense of Baekhyun’s wild behavior with stories of how it was a type of front he put on.  There is no time to think about it as Baekhyun smiles a bit and Jongin does not know how to explain his thoughts.  “You have most of the steps but for a faster piece you may have some trouble keeping up.”

Baekhyun goes to take another sip of wine from the glass that his servant had left when they were dancing.  “If there is something you want to say then say so.  I have myself to tell me praises at all times and I need to hear something different.”

“Some may see your dancing as a bit improper,” Jongin tries to say, a bit embarrassed.  The emotion only deepens when he realizes that Baekhyun does not understand his meaning.  “You are a flirt.”

The most genuine, loudest laugh Jongin has ever heard from the man bubbles out of his chest.  It shakes his body and makes him put down the glass.  “I have had enough of that today.”  He takes a quick look at Jongin and erupts again as Jongin’s face looks a bit scared.  What did he say to warrant this reaction?  When Baekhyun calms down he can finally take some time and talk.  “I know that I am as improper as they come.”

Baekhyun takes a long breath.  “I cannot help my dancing in that department, nor do I wish to.  So how about we try a more intricate dance and see how that goes.”

Before Jongin can say anything, he finds himself with a hand on his waist as they start the next dance.  This one is much easier to see Baekhyun’s problems.  He cannot seem to keep up with the music and sometimes takes too many steps or skips some altogether in order to keep up.  This is a popular song at dances as well and Jongin cannot for the life of him figure out how Baekhyun has kept this under wraps for so long.  Other than the one girl, he has never heard anyone talk badly about the older man’s dancing.

When they stop, Baekhyun immediately pipes up, “I usually pretend that I am in need of a drink when this song comes on.”

Well that explains that.  The next hour is Jongin showing each step slowly in order for Baekhyun to pick up on it.  It seems that a generally lack of understanding the dance itself was also a problem.  The man is a quick learner and seems to be able to understand and perform the dance significantly better by the end of the hour.

Throughout it, Jongin tries to keep himself in a teaching mode like he would do with his brothers or cousin or friends when he taught them how to dance.  He refused to let his mind linger on Baekhyun’s long eyelashes or small smile or long, delicate fingers.  That last one was quite a challenge for Jongin, but he had managed.

He was surprised at how quick of learner the man was.  Even beyond that, he was more shocked by how patient he was.  Jongin had always thought of the man as a bit short-tempered but now he realizes that he just has goals that he wants accomplished and when he is determined to do so, his attitude changes in order to get them.  Jongin just did not know what those goals were.

When they are done with the dancing for that day, Baekhyun tired out from the use of muscles he does not normally use, they enjoy some water that the servant brings out.  They then head inside to avoid the sun that has started to peak out from the clouds and shining down to add to the unbearable summer heat.

They arrive to Chanyeol playing the piano and Kyungsoo napping on the couch beside him.  Chanyeol smiles up at them before taking Jongin home after saying their goodbyes to Baekhyun and a sleeping Kyungsoo.


	9. Oceanside Strawberries

The past few days have seen Joonmyun waiting in anticipation to see if Jongdae would come back to the hospital.  Not that he has seen much of the infirmary this past week.  The halfway point of the vacation season has brought a flurry of invitations to not only him but his family as well.  Between seeing all of his friends and his family obligations, there has been little time to volunteer as much as he would like.

The invitations have also taken a toll upon Joonmyun.  His mother has taken full reigns of his love life and taken him to be shown to available bachelor to available bachelorette only for his mother to be disappointed every time.  Each person seemed to be someone Joonmyun was friends with or previously has met, and no matter how gorgeous Minho is Joonmyun could not even stomach the thought of being with him for any amount of time.  They were either not in his mother’s favor, too old or too poor or not connected well enough or too ugly or too many other excuses.

On Saturday morning, one week since the opening ball, Joonmyun is able to get away from his house for a short time in order to stash himself away from the hospital.  He greets a couple of the long-term patients whom he misses and goes about doing his normal duties.  The big task today is to sort through the new inventory that has come in to supply the infirmary.  Joonmyun is to go through and take note of each item before sorting them and stocking the shelves of the back room.

The job is easy and with it comes time for Joonmyun time to think since he is alone.  The infirmary is understaffed; therefore, he is unbothered.  Leaving him alone with his thoughts allows him to think back to his time with Jongdae.  Although he had friends, he had felt comfortable talking to Jongdae except for the excitement that kept popping up in his stomach and threatened to put a big grin on his face.

He supposes that he could invite Jongdae to visit, but he feels that would be much too improper.  They have known each other for less than a week, they were surely not friends but mere acquaintances.  He told this to Minho who told him that at this point it would be fine to send an invitation.   Joonmyun disagrees.  The only other person he tells is Jongin, in vague terms about inviting a friend, and he seems to take Minho’s stance as well.

Joonmyun wishes that he could be free like that.  He always felt like a proper gentleman, and he took pride in that people thought he was so well mannered, but sometimes he wishes that it was not the case.  Does Chanyeol not get to see this man he keeps talking about all of the time because he just ‘drop by’ Baekhyun’s house uninvited like some caveman?  Did it not so happen that Minseok went to university because he held steadfast in the face of their parents?

He imagines that it would be freeing to let go of all these standards that he holds himself to.  Maybe he would enjoy life a bit more.  Maybe he would not be confused with a doll all of the time if he just took a bit of a chance, but he will not.  That is not who Joonmyun thinks he can be.

His next family obligations is for afternoon tea at a family friends so he has a bit of time as the sun rises to the highest part of the sky.  His chores for the day are done so he goes to talk to a patient when he sees Jongdae coming in through the front door.  Surprised, Joonmyun tries to keep his composure as he walks over to greet him.

“Good afternoon,” Joonmyun says as he bows a bit.  Although he is working, he wishes that he was wearing something a bit more fitting for his class.  He is in plain, light clothing without much fluff while Jongdae looks perfect in a light green which fits him perfectly and shows off his class.  “Are you here to see the doctor?”

“We just had a pleasant conversation at his house,” Jongdae explains with a smile.  Joonmyun tries not to wince.  The doctor’s house was absolutely horrendous on the eyes as the man was color blind and had an eye for colors that were bright and clashed.  “For someone so well into his years, he is quite spritely when he wishes to be.”

Joonmyun smiles.  As much as the doctor puts on a brave face, he is quite older than he seems and is starting to become tired.  The doctor is the only one at the infirmary and without him, the village would need to attract another one.  “What brings you here to the infirmary?”

“I was hoping you would join me for brunch.  The doctor tells me of the medical needs but you know more about the other aspects, which is equally important.  Would you indulge me?”  Jongdae asks. 

Heart beating fast and loud, Joonmyun cannot help but smile as he immediately agrees, “I would love to.”  It comes out quickly and Joonmyun feels as if he has let all of his manners go.  Quickly recovering, he stands straighter as and tries to reign in the excitement of his voice as he follows Jongdae.

Jongdae is placed at a friend’s house that is on the shore.  It is a vacation home so it is smaller than a regular household such as his.  On the way, Jongdae tells him that his family had settled in France a few generations ago, therefore he had never vacationed at the village before as he always went to France in order to visit his cousins.  A friend from his university had lent him the house on the shore as he did not have time to go all the way to his familial home.

They are led to the back of the home which is only a matter of steps away from the ocean as they are met with a small spread of food prepared by Jongdae’s cook.  The food is wonderful, although Joonmyun has never truly had anything considered horrible during the vacation season.  He compliments the food and the house as Jongdae asks about the infirmary and the patients more in depth than the last time that they conversed.  The conversation is lighter than the last one as Jongdae laughs a bit more freely as he drinks a bit of champagne.  Joonmyun does not mind, he looks nice when he smiles.

“Do you like to work at the infirmary?”  Jongdae asks him as the desert course is brought out, a plate of fruit.  Joonmyun nibbles on the strawberries.

“I enjoy it immensely,” Joonmyun answers honestly.

The doctor takes another drink.    “Do you wish to stay in your village in the future?”

The question startles Joonmyun.  It sounds like something someone who is courting would ask.  The question was tricky for Joonmyun.  He could feign his feelings and say that he would enjoy town, but he does not want to lie to Jongdae.  The man has only been honest about himself and his work.  It would only be right to return the gesture.

“To be truthful, if I had my way, then I would not leave this village.  My mother wishes for me to change my mind and be open for a life in town if that is what a suitor would like, but I feel as if town is a bit too busy for me.  My brothers and cousin long for town, but I like it here, even if there are not many people for me to interact with during the winter months.”  As soon as he finishes, Joonmyun realizes that he has rambled a bit too much and revealed a bit more information than someone who has known for a week should know.  Quickly eating a strawberry to cover his nerves, he realizes that Jongdae does not seem offended as much as someone has a right to be.

Jongdae takes no time at all to digest the information.  “Your brothers?  Then your older brother does not wish to stay here?”

Of all things Joonmyun says, this is what Jongdae takes out of the small speech.  “Minseok wishes to go to town, but he is the eldest and the inheritor.”

A small smirk appears on Jongdae face.  “Are you a bit jealous?”

“Of course not!”  Joonmyun exclaims.  This was a bold face lie.  He was completely jealous of Minseok for his inheritance.  He loved the house and wished to be the eldest child.  But, at the moment, he could not believe how careless he was.  It would be improper to put down his brother, whom he loves very much, while in the company of a stranger.  “I wish the best for my brother.”

“A model response.”  Jongdae laughs loudly.  “How do you truly feel?  I will not tell anyone.”

Joonmyun twirls his strawberry as he eats it in order to avoid answering the other man’s question.  The debate in his head is a bit overwhelming.  He comes up with a compromise.  “I am overly fond of the house.”

With another laugh, Jongdae stands up all of a sudden and offers a hand for Joonmyun to stand up as well.  “Come with me to the ocean.”

Surprised and curious, Joonmyun takes the hand and lets Jongdae lead him to the ocean.  It would be rude for him not to but the change of subject had given him whiplash with no time to recover as they take the half minute walk to the edge of the water.  All dressed up, they could not enjoy the ocean.  Joonmyun waits for Jongdae to start the conversation as he has said enough embarrassing things for the day.

Jongdae does not saying anything as he puts one of his hands on the back of Joonmyun’s back as they face the ocean.  As soon as Joonmyun thinks about how improper it is for someone he does not know well to touch him in such an intimate manner, he feels a pressure that causes him to fall forward fall into the water.

It is the shallow part of the ocean so he does not get completely wet and falls into the sand.  He is soaked as he quickly tries to process the situation and tries to stand up immediately.  Jongdae offers him an arm up which he takes but Jongdae takes a few steps into the ocean and only pulls Joonmyun with him as he laughs freely.

Angered at the state of his soaked clothes and Jongdae’s mean spirited tricks, Joonmyun immediately finds his balance and stalks towards the house.  On the way he tracks in sand that covers his body in the itchy stuff.  Feeling disgusting, he turns to Jongdae.  “What is the meaning of this?”

The other man is smiling as he follows him to the house and informs a servant for some towels.  “I thought that you may benefit from loosening up a bit.”

Blinking, Joonmyun does not have a comeback for this, so Jongdae continues as he sits back down at the table.  His pants are soaked with a lot of sand clinging to it.  “Town is surrounded by people who are stuffy and uptight.  You may be just as well-mannered as them, but I can see that you wish to be a bit freer.  You do not need to be so guarded around me.  Speak your feelings.”

Joonmyun has always the best behaved man his whole life.  He never let his guard around anyone, not even his brothers.  Even considering to be a bit free or speak his true feelings makes him feel as if something bad would happen.  Honesty was for Chanyeol or that riffraff, Baekhyun.  Yet, here was Jongdae who encouraged such things in the privacy of his own home.  And yet, Joonmyun keeps being careless in Jongdae’s presence.  “I do not believe that I can indulge you with such behavior.”

“It is only me,” Jongdae says smoothly, calmly. “I will go first if you are unwilling or think I am trying to trick you:  Your doctor’s house is the gaudiest thing I have ever seen.”

Joonmyun laughs.  It is not unrestrained but it is a start.  Jongdae is funny and the whole day Joonmyun has only been laughing at a level that was polite.  But now with permission, he tries not to think about it as much.  There is something in him that has always wanted to put down this barrier, but something has always stopped him.  Removing it now, feels like a weight has been taken off his shoulders.  When Jongdae smiles, he feels a bit proud of himself and a lot more happier.

Jongdae tells Joonmyun that it is a bit freeing to not be polite all of the time and asks him what he finds irritable.  Joonmyun could start with his mother, but it is only lunch not a lifetime, so he speaks of the elder men that he is coerced into dancing with.  The ones who call him an accessory only to be shown at balls and nothing else.  He has never told anyone his feelings about such things before and once he tentatively starts he realizes that he kind of enjoys it.

The men make Jongdae laugh but he does offer some words of sympathy as he realizes how much disgust that Joonmyun has for them.  Being part of the upper class and surrounded by them when he works, Jongdae can picture quite a few men and women who would love for someone like Joonmyun to show off.

“If you were not so polite,” Jongdae begins, “they could not mistake you for an accessory.”

“Well,” Joonmyun says drinking a bit pass his limit at this point, “I could always embarrass them after our marriage so not only would we have to divorce but everyone would be publicly embarrassed of them.”

Joonmyun quickly puts a hand to his mouth as if he cannot believe he had such loose lips.  Before he can utter an apology, Jongdae is smiling so devilishly that Joonmyun realizes that he has impressed the man.  The rest of the lunch did not last long as Joonmyun drinks a glass of champagne, eats strawberries, and enjoys Jongdae’s company.


	10. Holiday Drinks

Chanyeol refused to go to another house if all his parents were going to do was push him onto another one of his friends.  After a disastrous brunch where he was introduced to Jooheon, whom he has known for years and had looked at him like he was trying not to snicker all through brunch, he had escaped as soon as he could to go call upon Baekhyun’s house.  They had talked of swimming for a bit and set off immediately for a private part of the shoreline where no one would bother them.

They could go to one of the popular beaches where they were meant to be seen, but they wanted to enjoy themselves and not worry about others, especially Kyungsoo.  He had enough eyes on him in town, he did not need them while he was enjoying himself on his holiday. 

Chanyeol hated himself in a bathing suit.  None of the striped monstrosities looked good on anyone and with his tall physique it looked worse.  Baekhyun always laughed at him when he wore one but then Chanyeol would laugh right back at him, teasing the loose fabric around his skinny arms.

The day was hot but the shoreline they were at held a tree near the sand that allowed them to sit under while they enjoyed the cold ocean.  It was just like old times, even with Kyungsoo.  Chanyeol and Baekhyun loved to splash each other and try to drown each other just like when they were children.  All the while, Kyungsoo encouraged their rough housing and competition.

It was fun, but the summer heat drained them quickly as they went back to the tree to relax and dry off.  Baekhyun had brought wine, because it was Baekhyun and when did he not have a glass of alcohol at least five arm’s length away, and they started to drink as they soaked up the sun with smiles on their face. Kyungsoo did not like the sand, but Baekhyun relished in it, sand all throughout his hair and feet buried.  Growing up in the village, Chanyeol was as comfortable with the sand as he was inside of a house.

Chanyeol could not take his eyes from Kyungsoo during their time in the ocean some times.  The man had smiled more in less than an hour’s time than Chanyeol had seen the whole rest of knowing the man.  He was carefree and happy and Chanyeol was quite attracted to him.  During a time when Chanyeol had dunked Baekhyun, a look at a laughing Kyungsoo told him that his mother did not need to make any more inquiries.  There was no doubt about it.

“How did your lessons with Jongin go,” Chanyeol asks Baekhyun as they drink and he tried to come up with a conversation topic.  He had not been able to ask before as Jongin was with him.

Baekhyun nodded.  “It was splendid.  He is aware of my superb talent and taught me a complicated number that I have not even seen preformed but only in rumor.”

There is a beat of silence before Kyungsoo answers.  “You are such a liar.”

Chanyeol laughs as Baekhyun blushes.  “I am being serious!”

“If that is what you choose to believe,” Kyungsoo says with a smile.  In response, Baekhyun lightly punches his shoulder.

Chanyeol joins in with the teasing.  “If you were so great I feel as if Jongin would have mentioned it to me at some point.  We have been without much amusement at these dinners my aunt takes us and any conversation topic has been brought up at this point.  Yet, he has said nothing.”

“Your cousin was in such shock that he could not even think of my abilities without being speechless,” Baekhyun says defensively.  His entire face is flushed from the conversation and wine.  Knowing his best friend, Chanyeol can tell that he is putting up a front for comedic purposes.  A year ago, Baekhyun had been drunk enough to tell Chanyeol that he was afraid his dancing ability was inhibiting his ability to attract lovers.  He wonders if his best friend even remembers that conversation.  He wonders if Kyungsoo knows.  “Anyways, Jongin is not one to talk even a fraction of the amount you do.  He can actually keep a secret.”

Chanyeol mocks offense, a hand on his heart.  “I am an upmost confidant!”

“Your face is a like a book,” Baekhyun says as he takes another sip.

At this, Kyungsoo snorts.  “As if you are the standard for secrets.”

“I could reveal your darkest secrets all over town, yet I do not,” Baekhyun says confidently.

Chanyeol smiles. “Do tell!”

“You would not believe the scandalous books that Kyungsoo reads-”

“Stop,” Kyungsoo seethes.  He is met with a laugh.  Baekhyun has said too much and Chanyeol knows exactly where this was going.

Chanyeol smirks.  “I thought only women in unhappy marriages read those types of books.”

Kyungsoo glares at his dormmate.  “I cannot believe you.”

Baekhyun giggles like an idiot as Kyungsoo takes time to slap his shoulder that will probably leave a mark, causing Baekhyun to laugh harder.


	11. The Compromise

True fear is Minseok being called into his father’s study to talk to his parents.  A private, serious parental talk meant that Minseok was probably being married off against his wishes.  As much as his parents wanted their children to fall in love, they wanted them to do so on their time.  Minseok had other opinions.

His parents sat across from him as they sipped their tea and Minseok made sure to take a cup.  He would not be able to respond to inane questions if he was drinking tea at the time.  Gently holding the cup as a source of comfort, he waited for his parents to begin the conversation.

“Our embarrassment at the last ball was thankfully contained to only Amber’s family,” Minseok’s father begins. _Their embarrassment_ , Minseok wanted to laugh in their faces.  “And you have avoided even getting to know those that I have suggested to you this whole week.  Every single person I have talked to would not even consider you after the cold treatment that you have given!”

His mother frowns.  “Therefore, for as much as we loathe ourselves for stooping so low, we have concluded that we need you to cooperate somehow.  So, we are willing to offer a compromise before we agree to an engagement for you.”

Minseok has not seen such deep lines in his mother’s face in a very long time.  His parents were angry and yet Minseok found hope in their words as well as frustration.  How _kind_ of them to think of his feelings before they married him off to someone he did not love to take care of a house he did not love in a village he did not love.  His parents were well aware of his hatred for all of these things.

“If you find yourself engaged by the end of week, then we will allow you let Joonmyun have the house instead so that you may move into town.”

Shocked, Minseok’s eyes widen.  This was his chance!  He could leave town with his familial connections intact!  He soon deflated.  How was he to find someone to court him?  Who would court him?  Not even court him, promise to _marry_ him?  Mind running on overdrive he almost forgets to smile sweetly at his parents and thank them before promptly leaving the parlor.  Shuffling through the available suitors in town in his mind, he finds Joonmyun in the parlor.

Before Joonmyun can greet him, Minseok is telling the other of the compromise in excitement.  His younger brother smiles wider and wider as he hears of it, but then drops as he hears the catch.  “But who can you find to court you by the end of the week?”

Minseok does not know but he leaves his younger brother with hope.  Having the house would not only take the burden off of Minseok but also give Joonmyun everything he ever wished for from his parents.  He finds himself writing to his best friend of the lucky compromise and to give himself some time to think of a strategy in order to get himself out of the village.


	12. Propositions

On the second to last day of the vacation season, Kyungsoo goes to read by himself by the Oceanside.  Baekhyun and Chanyeol are driving him to insanity and he needs some time to himself to read and to think.  These last few days have had him surrounded by either Chanyeol, Baekhyun, or both at the same time and being the introvert that he is, he has been feeling drained.  What was worse was that the closing ball was approaching tomorrow and it was always a huge event that Kyungsoo knew he was going to be dragged to.

If things were already going poorly, it was worst that Chanyeol was blatantly flirting with him, even in front of Baekhyun.  Baekhyun was an unknowing flirt, charming everyone unknowingly and was unaware of his actions sometimes.  He had confessed to Kyungsoo once that he wished that he was completely unaware of his actions sometimes and wished he was more aware other times.  It was one of the only times Kyungsoo had seen the man lack any sort of confidence.  On the other hand, Chanyeol was quite aware of his actions and seemed to smother someone in his affections.  As much as Kyungsoo liked to spend time with the man, the sweet words were something that he could not get over.

When Kyungsoo returns to his temporary home to find a carpet of rose petals leading him around the house to the backyard and a servant accompany him, he knows something is amist and it will be something that he loathes.  Annoyed, he follows the servant and path to the back of Baekhyun’s property to the pergola that stood there that was covered in beautiful flowers.  His expression holds no happiness as he enters inside as he finds Chanyeol standing inside as the servant leaves him.

Awkwardly he stands as he takes in Chanyeol’s appearance.  Wide grin, as if he had any other expression, brushed back hair, and wearing white, Kyungsoo loathes to admit to himself that the man looks handsome.  Kyungsoo can see in that minute how so many have fallen for him and his charms. 

How Baekhyun had fallen for him. 

He was friendly, handsome, charming, and from a good family.  It was all a farce because they obviously did not know how annoying the man was.  He reminded Kyungsoo of a more foolish, over the top version of Baekhyun.  It was unnerving how much Chanyeol reminded him of Baekhyun.  Frustratingly, Kyungsoo liked Chanyeol.  The two got along well and Kyungsoo had never thought he would ever like Baekhyun’s childhood friend.

If Kyungsoo was being honest with himself, he hated every fiber of Chanyeol’s existence before visiting the sleepy village.  For years, he only knew of Baekhyun’s childhood friend as the one whom had broken Baekhyun’s heart.  For all that he teases Baekhyun, he was the dearest person that Kyungsoo could think of.  Yet, Kyungsoo watched for four years as Baekhyun fell apart from unrequited love each and every winter and summer.  Every letter was rubbing a salt in a wound that seemed to crush Baekhyun just a bit further.

Kyungsoo had never met someone so passionate and lively as Baekhyun when they had met and had immediately fallen for the man.  Yet, he saw every mention of Chanyeol lowering the bright light in Baekhyun to the point that he was much more subdued now and even more an alcoholic than he was before.  Kyungsoo hated Chanyeol for it.

About a year ago, Baekhyun had sworn off Chanyeol.  Coming to the realization that Chanyeol would never love him or even realize that Baekhyun loved him any more than a best friend.  When Kyungsoo asked why Baekhyun did not tell him, Baekhyun shook his head.  He would never confess out of friendship.  As a result, the man grew up in the past year, hardening his heart, dimmer than ever before.

Six months ago, Kyungsoo had confessed his feelings for Baekhyun, not expecting much in return.  He knew from his conversations with his dormmate that their friendship did not hinge on his confession and took the chance.  Baekhyun had said that he wanted to spend time alone and could not return his affection.  Not one whom he could not be sure loved him.  Not one whom was as pessimistic as Kyungsoo.  Not one whom could not reassure him when he needed it after Chanyeol.

It was the nicest rejection Kyungsoo has ever heard of.  They had remained very good friends.  Baekhyun made fun of it every so often, but was much more sensitive than he led on and was in tune with Kyungsoo’s feelings, always checking to make sure that he was okay.  Kyungsoo almost fell for him again every time afterwards for it.

He had almost forgiven Chanyeol for everything throughout this trip until this exact moment.  When the man had lulled him to sleep with beautiful music he had thought that those feelings had dissipated.

“What is this?”  Kyungsoo asks as he finds himself alone with Chanyeol with a frown which does nothing to deter Chanyeol.

The tall man motions to all the flowers.  The show of wealth frustrated Kyungsoo.  “Is this not romantic?”

“Romantic?”  Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow incredulously.  “I do not really care for this type of thing.”

This shakes Chanyeol.  Kyungsoo wondered if Chanyeol has ever been rejected before or ever gone after someone with more than three brain cells.  “Everyone I have ever met would be impressed.”

Kyungsoo can feel his frown deepen.  “I am not everyone.”

Chanyeol’s face falls at this.  Finally, an expression other than happy doofus.  “Can I never impress you?”

“Your persistent annoyance,” Kyungsoo replies.  And, your beautiful piano playing and the fact that you can compose and your love for your family and the passion that you ooze.  He snaps out of his thoughts when he realizes that Baekhyun is watching them from the window of his house, trying to be discreet.  Kyungsoo’s heart falls in a turbulence of emotions.  “Your ability to be absolutely everywhere and your devotion towards a goal is admirable.”

This seems to list Chanyeol’s spirits as if what Kyungsoo said was not a back handed compliment.  “Thank you.”

There is a silence and Kyungsoo feels more awkward by the minute.  He wants this to be over.  “Why are we here?”

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol begins softly with his voice a bit deeper, causing Kyungsoo to feel his heart beat at the unexpected tone.  “These last two weeks-”

With that heart beat and the flowers and the hatred, Kyungsoo cannot help but feel overwhelmed.  With Baekhyun’s eyes on him, he feels even worst.  “Can you get to the point?”

“Can you not be so blunt?  You are so much like Baekhyun!”  Chanyeol comes back immediately.  With the mention of Baekhyun’s name, Kyungsoo immediately starts to panic internally.  If he wanted to leave before, now the pressure was overwhelming.

It sounds frustrated but Kyungsoo could care less at this point.  “You really do not have a romantic bone in you, so I will continue and educate you.”  He grabs Kyungsoo’s hands.  “Kyungsoo, these last two weeks have opened my eyes and I have never been so enchanted by someone-”

Kyungsoo pulls himself away.  He cannot do this right now, not without thinking this over.  Not with Baekhyun watching them.  He tries to walk back to the house and reaches the veranda as he realizes that Chanyeol is following him and shouting at him.  The man truly has no tact.  “Do not leave me!  For I cannot see my life without you.”

Kyungsoo reaches for the door to the house.  “For I wish to court you!”

Pausing, Kyungsoo grabs the door handle with force.  The only thing he can see right now is Baekhyun’s eyes widening in surprise.  At that moment, Kyungsoo can only see the vulnerable man whom consumed his heart for years.  Whom still remains there as his best friend.

“No,” he answers as opens the door, not even looking at Chanyeol.  There are too many thoughts running through his head.  He needs to talk to Baekhyun.  He needs his heart to stop beating so loudly.  He needs his feelings to stop feeling fearful, hurt, and excited at the same time.  He needed to stop being confused.  As they walk inside and Baekhyun turns to him, Chanyeol only has eyes for him.  He does not seem to notice Baekhyun, did he ever?

“What do you mean?” Chanyeol asks dumbly.

“No.”

There is a pause.  Chanyeol’s voice strains.  “I implore you to change your mind.”

“No!”

“Kyungsoo!”

“Chanyeol!”  Baekhyun exclaims as he grabs Chanyeol’s arm.  Chanyeol reacts in surprise, not even aware of his best friend’s presence.  “Give him some time!”

Chanyeol seems to struggle as he tries to figure out what to do.  His only solution is to comply with Baekhyun’s seething eyes.  He composes himself, bowing to Kyungsoo who is still not looking at him.  “Please keep me in your thoughts.”

Chanyeol leaves.  Kyungsoo can hear his footsteps bypass him, but he turns to look at Baekhyun instead.  His dormmate is furious.  As soon as the tall man closes the door, Baekhyun explodes.  “What was that?”

Kyungsoo, conflicted and overwhelmed, wants to talk later.  He feels exhausted and for the life of him he cannot figure out why Kyungsoo would be angry with him.  “Chanyeol?”

This does not satisfy Baekhyun as he rushes towards Kyungsoo until he only a step away and takes Kyungsoo’s hands in his.  His eyes are huge as he gets into Kyungsoo’s personal space.  He starts shaking their hands.  “Why did you not accept?”

Are you trying to humor me?”  Kyungsoo asks in disbelief.  He thought Baekhyun was hurt at Chanyeol’s confession and yet here he was angry that it was not accepted.  Kyungsoo was now more confused than he has ever been in his life.  “Why would I?”

“ _Are you trying to humor me?_ You liked him!  You complement each other!  You have fun with him!  Why would you turn him down?”  Baekhyun exclaims.  A thought pops into his head as he pulls back with a glare.  “Is this because you think he is annoying because I know you think more highly of him.”

Kyungsoo takes a breath.  “He told me that I remind him of you.”

Baekhyun’s grip tenses for a second as shock takes over his face, but he quickly recovers.  His voice is small, so small.  “Is this because I…” Baekhyun trails off.  He takes the look in Kyungsoo’s eyes as confirmation.  “Kyungsoo, you know I have moved on.  I support his courting of you.”

Kyungsoo’s face remains stern.  “Your heart is too large for you to not be hurt.”

“It does hurt,” Baekhyun admits.  “I will not lie, but I will recover.”  He gives a small smile, determination in his eyes.  “So now you have no reason to not accept.”

They stand in the middle of the house for a bit, silence hanging between them.  It overwhelms Kyungsoo like nothing else that Baekhyun would be quiet for so long.  Baekhyun has cheered him up considerably for years, it was his turn to return the favor.  “I cannot accept to enter into a courtship with a man who believes it is okay to propose in your pergola.”

The joke breaks Baekhyun’s silence as he takes his time to laugh.  “Your face is the _definition_ of disgust.”  He takes a break to giggle some more.  “He only did it because he asked Joonmyun what would be good and Joonmyun is a gaudy romantic.”

Kyungsoo pushes Baekhyun away.  “Well tell him to do what he actually likes next time.”

Baekhyun straight out smiles mischievously.  “Of course.”


	13. Diversions

Jongin arrives at Baekhyun’s doorstep in the late afternoon and finds Baekhyun sitting in the parlor.  He does not see Chanyeol or Kyungsoo anywhere.  Chanyeol did not tell Jongin’s parents about his plans but had revealed them to him and his brothers earlier in the day.  Minseok did not seem surprised but Joonmyun had sputtered out a mess.  The man was probably heartbroken that he would not be the first to marry.  Jongin assumed he would get over it.

Baekhyun stands to greet him for their third dance lesson together.  Next to him a wine bottle is almost completely empty next to him.

“Is my brother here?”  Jongin asks pleasantly.  This was apparently the wrong thing to ask as Baekhyun looks away in annoyance.

“No,” he answers with a bit of slur.  “He left about forty minutes ago.”

A pang of hurt for his cousin hits Jongin’s stomach.  “I take it he did not say yes?”  Baekhyun nods.  He looks distraught and Jongin decided it was not a good look on the man.  “I knew it.  It was way too soon.”  Jongin smiles a bit.  “At least I win the bet.”

Curiously, Baekhyun turns to him, sorrows abandoned temporarily.  “There was a bet?  Who was in on it and why was I not involved?”

“It was with Joonmyun,” Jongin answers.

Baekhyun chuckles as he starts walking to the veranda so that they can start their practice.  “Then it was an easy bet!”

“He is just a romantic,” Jongin says airily.  The two start the lesson immediately.  Baekhyun has been taught two popular dances and they perform those first to see if he remembers them.  He does, with grace, and Jongin feels pride in his student.  The older man is a fast learner even when he was drinking.

Unlike the other lessons, Baekhyun is drunk for this one.  It is obvious within the first minute of the first dance.  His hands are tight as he holds Jongin as they dance, as if he needs to be supported.  Jongin has no idea what is wrong with Baekhyun, as he did find Baekhyun is a most depressed state, and he only imagines that watching his two best friends fight with each other, which Jongin thinks was the outcome of today’s confession, but have him feeling down.

“Tell me about town,” Jongin says as a diversion as they go through the steps.  Baekhyun blinks up to him in surprise.  “I leave soon to join society. I might as well know what I am getting into.”

“It is an absolute delight,” Baekhyun says.  “There is so much to do and so much to see.  There are taverns and balls and museums and theatres.  There is never a dull moment.”

“I long for it,” Jongin admits.  “I do not want to be caged in this village any longer.  I tire of a place that has no amusements and even less people.”

“Does it make you lonely?” Baekhyun asks as the start another dance.  He keeps having to look down every couple of seconds to make sure he does not step on Jongin’s feet, but otherwise he looks into Jongin’s eyes as they dance.  Jongin must remind himself again that the attention is flattering because Baekhyun is a natural flirt, not because he is interested in him.

It is an unexpected question, but Jongin answers it freely.  He trusts Baekhyun, has always trusted the man.  As much of a hooligan many consider him to be, Jongin knows that Baekhyun is kind.  He is kind to Chanyeol when Chanyeol is being emotional, which is more than Chanyeol would like to admit.  He is kind to his servants and he has always he been soft towards Jongin himself.  “I want to be able to talk to my friends more than for two weeks a year.”

“Well,” Baekhyun says with a smirk, “it is a good thing you are moving to town and can speak to anyone you want.”  Jongin listens as Baekhyun babbles about what there is to do in town.  Jongin can feel the excitement bubbling out of him as the older man talks.  The man made it sound grand. 

The rest of the practice is half amount the time of their other practices as Baekhyun seems to grow tired when he excessively drinks.  Leaning on Jongin, he makes the decision to stop the practice and go lie down with the excuse that he is a bit unwell.  Jongin guides him to the parlor as he sees the servants rushing about in the background.

Baekhyun has his delicate fingers wrapped around Jongin’s wrist as he speaks.  “What do you want to do in town?”

“I want to experience everything,” Jongin admits hesitantly.  The older boy’s body shakes with laughter as it seems to sober him up a bit.

“I did not know you were so adventurous,” Baekhyun says.  Without thinking he continues, “it is quite attractive.”  Jongin’s heart stops for a moment as he considers the others words.  He tries to rationalize them to himself that Baekhyun is drunk as he quickly says his goodbye.

He feels giddy the whole way home.


	14. Incompatibility

Joonmyun sits in the parlor as he writes a letter to Jonghyun who had to remain in town during this vacation season for business purposes.  More than once he is distracted by his own thoughts as he thinks about Jongdae and their time at his house just a couple of days ago.  He wishes he could have spent more time with the man, but he will have to wait until the closing ball for the encounter.  For right now, he waits in anticipation.

Loudly, Chanyeol comes through the front doors of the house and stomps his way towards the stairs.  Joonmyun takes it that his silly proposal did not work out.  When Chanyeol had told the brothers about the courtship announcement Joonmyun had been an absolute mess internally.  His playboy cousin settling down into a courtship before the jewel of the country?  Preposterous!  Jealousy ate at Joonmyun.  They had known each other for a week and Chanyeol goes on and on about marriage and everything else!  How foolish!

The only people who need to be in courtships at this point are himself and Minseok.  The reasons himself should be in one are obvious: he is the most prepared and the one who wishes for it the most.  His want for Minseok to be married stems from the deal that his parents have made with him.  If the deal comes to fruition, then most of Joonmyun’s dreams will come true.  He would get to have the house and stay in the quaint, quiet village with the infirmary.

Still, Joonmyun cares about his cousin and his wellbeing, so he stands up and abandons his letter in order to approach the man before he angrily assaults the stairs or a servant.  Chanyeol’s behavior may be one of Joonmyun’s pet peeves but he is still family.  “Are you okay?”

Obviously not.  Upon closer inspection, Joonmyun realizes that his cousins’ eyes are reamed red and is clearly upset.  He talks loudly, as he always does, but his voice is more strained than usual.  “How could I be?  My heart feels as if it has fallen on the floor and is dragging by a thread!”

Joonmyun rolls his eyes at the theatrics.  His lips are in a straight line and not in its usual smile.  Never has Joonmyun even heard that Chanyeol even liked someone and now he was talking about heartbreak after his first crush rejects him?  He’s been on thousands of dates with only the most primitive intentions for all of them.  It disgusts Joonmyun.  “I have never seen you like this.”

Chanyeol seems to not of heard him, lost in thoughts as he looks away towards the window.  “Is this what it feels to know that you may never love again?”

The elder just blinks as he digests the sentence just spoken to him.  Then the anger took over.  How many times has Joonmyun been heartbroken?  How many times has he gone on several dates only to have all communications cease as soon as vacation was over with no letter of affection returned to him.  How many times has he longed for someone who was intimidated by his status of being a jewel?

And yet Chanyeol still has the audacity to ask him this. 

Blood boiling, Joonmyun can feel himself trying to reel in his feelings and find the control that he is famous for.  But, there is something that makes him want to go back on his usual ways.  Maybe it had something to do with Jongdae at his house, but for once he did not feel like holding back.  He sneers.  “It is just a boy.  You have been entangled with dozens of them.”

Chanyeol sighs deeply, not realizing the shift in Joonmyun’s tone, oblivious as ever to his surroundings.  “But I have never held enough affection for any of them to consider courting.”

Joonmyun snorts.  “Even worse in my opinion.”

This shocks Chanyeol out of his depressive state.  Could his cousin be sympathetic for just a moment?  Could he not think of anything besides how actions will affect him?  The tone was mocking and Chanyeol was feeling a bit more emotional than he usually was.  He clicks his tongue in annoyance.  “What would you do in my situation?”

“Spend more time in getting to know Kyungsoo,” Joonmyun says.  “The fact that you are surprised at his response shows that you should have shown more restraint and do not know his character.”  The frustration in Joonmyun comes to a peak as he says his next line.  He was usually not one to criticize others so harshly as it was improper to do so.  “Not that your behaviors shown any restraint.”

Chanyeol bites the inside of this cheek.  Why was Joonmyun acting even more self-important than usual?  “How long should I have waited?”

“With your enthusiasm I would have waited for him.”

Chanyeol sneers as his cheeks heat up.  “ _Alright_ , I could have waited.  I could have stayed home and never taken a chance.  Now, I know.  I will never initiate anything ever again.  I will be the perfect jewel of the country and just _wait_ for someone to notice me.  I will wait forever and be _just like you_.”

Joonmyun frowns deeply.  In the back of his mind he wonders if it will cause wrinkles.  He tries to remind himself that Chanyeol does not mean what he is saying because Joonmyun just does not _wait_ for people.  He goes out and meets them and then waits.  It was different.  Also, his plans were going quite well if Jongdae was considered.  “You asked for my opinion and my strategy is going quite well.”

“Is it?” Chanyeol sarcastically asks.  Something in him breaks, as his voice rises. “I can see it is going quite well!  How could I miss your courtship or engagement being announced or any rumors of the two?  Oh right, I have not nor _has anyone_.  It is going to be very lonely in this house if Minseok’s deal works out and you cannot even land a partner.  Do you know why people call you the jewel?  Because you are pretty and are something to show off but you have the personality of a rock.  You are properly _boring_.  I bet only someone giving you a shock to your system would even get you to speak of something amusing and fun!”

Chanyeol spats the last word as he passes Joonmyun to go up the stairs to calm down and sulk by himself.  This leaves a stunned Joonmyun to stand dumbly in the hall.  As harsh as his cousin was, in his extreme emotional state, he still hears those words ring true.  Jongdae _did_ have to shock his system to even get him to act like himself.

He thinks back to suitor after suitor and realizes that _he_ has been the problem all along.  Always thinking the suitors were intimidated was the wrong line of thinking on Joonmyun’s part.  He _was_ boring.  He was _vanilla_.  Sitting in the parlor, Joonmyun thinks of his past actions and as he comes to this realization.

It brings him to worry about Jongdae.  The younger had told him that he wanted to bring out his true personality, the one that laid hidden for so long.  He starts to realize that maybe that is what he should have been doing all along.


	15. The Closing Ball

The carriage ride to the closing ball was nothing short of tense for the three brothers and their cousin.  Minseok was in deep thought about how he has had no success in finding a suitable match.  He was also trying to shield an anxiety filled Jongin from the combination of his mother’s jovial list of suitors and the staring match going between Chanyeol and Joonmyun who seemed to be sitting across from one another.

Chanyeol could not want to go this ball less.  He had spent the previous night and day sulking about the house.  Between his unrequited feelings and his fight with Joonmyun, he was in no mood to be genial.  Something ate at him that he should apologize to his cousin but his cousin had been so inconsiderate towards him.  On the other hand, Joonmyun was fretting over his lack of interesting qualities, seeing Jongdae, and Chanyeol’s glare.

Joonmyun’s mother seemed to be oblivious to the tension in the air.  Many suitors come from town for this ball and this ball only and this excited her more than anything.  Chanyeol was now still in the market despite her dismay, but she was not giving up on her sons.  If her eldest did not throw some surprise, then she had someone lined up for him to marry.  She has also been asked repeatedly by different sources about the younger ones as well.  Everything was going according to plan.

Her first course of action was to find the wealthy suitor that the village was abuzz about.  The son of a very well to do family who were involved in banking was coming tonight from town and the woman could not have been more excited.  The rumor was that he was a bit reclusive and did not go out to all of the major balls.  She would just _have_ to introduce him to three wonderful gentlemen.  Upon arriving to the ball, the family immediately splits up.  The parents are lost in a sea of introductions and set off to do some networking. 

Early into the party has Kyungsoo walking up to Jongin.  They have barely spoken but the elder wishes for Jongin to follow him.  Awkwardly, Jongin does.  If this man is going to entangle him into being a relay for Chanyeol, he was not going to.  Chanyeol’s mess ups are his to deal with and his alone as far as Jongin was concerned.  If someone has hurt Chanyeol unfairly like if he had found Kyungsoo with another man, then Jongin would not hesitate to lift a finger.  This situation, on the other hand, was just unrequited love and Chanyeol would get over it sooner or later.

Jongin does not expect to be dragged over to Baekhyun.  The man gleefully waves to him as he feels his face feel warm at the attention.  The man looks excited as he bounces a bit as he grabs both of Kyungsoo’s wrists and says something.  The shorter man has a sour look on his face as he talks and disappears into the back room.  Baekhyun looks a bit lost at the reaction but quickly turns it around as he finishes his first drink.  “One of my father’s good friends knows the ensemble here.  Wait just a second!”

The song changes in the ball room to a familiar tune, the complex dance that Baekhyun used to have trouble with until Jongin became his teacher.  The man smiles with pride like a child as he ushers Jongin onto the dance floor.  Throughout the dance, Jongin cannot remember the last time he had been this happy.  The elder man’s smile is infectious as it turns into a laugh, bringing Jongin along.  The dance is now effortless for Baekhyun who now can maintain eye contact with his dance partner, but looks on the edge of laugher the entire time.

As the dance causes a lightness in Jongin’s head, he also lets himself revel in the dance without overthinking anything.  Baekhyun is still as suggestive as ever as he dances with lingering touches and long stares, but the upbeat song brings a sense of fun that is easy to get lost in. 

They are breathless at the end as they take their leave from the other dancers and find a drink.  There is a slight blush gathering around Baekhyun’s cheekbones as he drinks and calms his heartbeat from the dance.  Jongin turns to Baekhyun at one point only to laugh a bit too loudly for such an event, but they do not seem to care at this moment. 

It ends all too soon for Jongin as Baekhyun finds himself caught up looking at the room Kyungsoo has disappeared in.  It is as if reality has brought Baekhyun back from a small high as his expression hardens.  He politely excuses himself from Jongin saying he needs to take care of something for Kyungsoo and Jongin lets him go.

Chanyeol does not wish to see Kyungsoo so he is forced to go find some of his other friends.  He sees Baekhyun next to Kyungsoo immediately, his heart aches and he decides he needs a distraction.  He gets it when he finds Joonmyun walking up to him.  Before he does he takes a drink of wine meant for sipping from a servant, downs it in seconds, and puts it back on the servant’s tray.

Chanyeol tries to look solemn.  Joonmyun does not frown due to their surroundings not being private and tries to be apologetic as he believes that this nonsense fight should not be going on between family.  Surprisingly, Chanyeol speaks first.  As mad as he is, it did not excuse himself from saying such mean spirited comments to his cousin.  “Joonmyun, I should not have said those things to you.”

Joonmyun smiles at him, a bit strained.  “It is alright.  You were emotional and I should not have provoked you. We are family and I should have listened to your problems instead of inserting myself into them.”

Chanyeol raises an eyebrow.  Was his cousin being sincere or proper?  He honestly could not tell sometimes.  At least he was making some sort of effort and he would take what he could get from Joonmyun.  “It still does not excuse my behavior.”

“It would be best to forget the night happen,” Joonmyun suggests.  “Our family needs to unite against our mother tonight.”

Chanyeol laughs for the first time today.  His cousin has never been funny, but tonight they did need to come together for a bigger cause.  He could go back to resenting him later.  “I agree.  Auntie’s eyes look absolutely mad tonight!”

The woman did have eyes that could only be described as unnerving tonight.  She was like a hawk as she scanned the room.  Her eyes were on the lookout for the eligible bachelor coming tonight.  She was the only one, too.  The information had come to her by a confidential source and was the only one who had it.  She was not going to waste it.

She spots him as soon as he comes in, grabbing her husband’s arm and quietly waiting for him to thank the owners of the house before bombarding him.  Shorter than she expected, the man had auburn hair and wide eyes and looked young.  The woman smiled at the thought of people mistaking his age for too young to be in society.  No one else would have their eyes on him.  She curtsies to him when their paths cross ‘incidentally’.

The woman and the man introduce themselves while the man has a small smile on his face.  It was quite beautiful.  If only she was half her age!  He bows, the epitome of manners.  “I am delighted that I have met your acquaintance.  My name is LuHan.”

“LuHan?”  The woman coos a bit dramatically as she turns to her husband who has the same smile as her.  “A most handsome man, do you not think, Mr. Kim?”  The older man laughed as the younger thanked them.  Before he could move on, the woman grabbed on to his elbow with a small giggle.  “It would only be right for you to be introduced to my sons and nephew!  They may be a few years early of your age but what is one or two years?  Nothing I say when you see their faces, everyone agrees that they are the most handsome even compared to those in town.  You could not do better.  Oh, here you go!”

Chanyeol is unfortunate to the be the first victim as he sees his Aunt coming towards him what he believes is the wealthy suitor.  The man looks young and more importantly distressed by the woman who keeps pulling him along and talking so fast he cannot comprehend it.  His mood turns worst even after his small reconciliation with Joonmyun.  His Aunt is quite loud as she approaches.  “This is my nephew, Park Chanyeol.  He is just the most marvelous hunter.  Oh!  You do not seem to have a drink; I will go fetch you something!”

The young man stands like a storm has just passed him as he looks at Chanyeol.  This prompts Chanyeol to apologize quickly before his Aunt comes back.  “My Aunt is very-”

“Excitable,” the young man fills in.  He smiles.  “It is alright, it would not be the first time I have been dragged around by a stranger wanting me to meet someone to consider.”

“Well I am glad you are accustomed to it,” Chanyeol laughs.  “She has three sons.”  The young man’s face falls a bit at the implication.  Chanyeol takes pity on the poor man and hands him a drink of one of the flasks in the jacket pocket.  The man thanks him and takes a small drink.  “You will need it.”

“That is a strong drink,” The man comments, face a bit sour from the taste.

“I am in mourning,” Chanyeol answers truthfully.  The last thing he wants from this conversation is for the man to think he is interested, although he believes the other has expressed no interest as well.  That last part is not going to go over well with his aunt. 

Chanyeol was lonely in that he was unsure of who to talk to about his problems at this point and this man seemed to have come along. Alcohol always did make him have loose lips.  “I had a courtship proposal fail me yesterday.”

“And yet your mother still introduces me to you,” the man says incredulously.  “My advice is to ask again.  Persistence is an admirable attribute.”

The taller is brought back to his conversation with Kyungsoo the day before.  “He thinks so as well.”

LuHan smiles in response, genuinely as his mother returns with two glasses or red wine.  “My nephew is very popular among the youths.  It is not hard to imagine why if you gaze upon him for more than a few seconds.”

Chanyeol’s Aunt whisks the man away and he can only pity that poor man.  The next second he is being pulled onto the dance floor by his elbow and he is so close to it that it is not a far walk.  He is face to face with Baekhyun as a new song starts up and Baekhyun immediately starts to dance as he glares at Chanyeol for a bit.  Chanyeol does not break eye contact, kind of worry of what infractions he has caused.  They do not talk during the first dance and while Chanyeol is an awful dancer, he does see that Baekhyun has improved slightly since the last ball.  At least his youngest cousin was making up for the rest of the failures in their family.  Thankfully, both songs are ones that Jongin had taught him.

“Why are you avoiding Kyungsoo?”  Baekhyun asks, there is an edge to his voice.  “Why are you avoiding me for that matter?”

“I assumed you had taken his side after you told me to leave,” Chanyeol admits and his best friend’s response is an expression of startled hurt.

“Then you are mistaken,” Baekhyun says as he now does not hold Chanyeol’s eyes and looks at his chest.  His lips are pursed.  “He is a good friend who was being pushed into a corner.  I was hoping things turned out well, but they did not.”

“And now you have cornered me?”  Chanyeol asks as his best friend looks up at him in surprise as they stop moving.  They exit the ball room so not to attract attention and to not get trampled by the other dancers.

“I have not cornered you.  I merely came to inform you of a topic you are much interested in,” Baekhyun says, a twitch to his lips.  “When you came yesterday, Kyungsoo was not in the mood to accept you due to emotional memories he has held on to which he has revealed to me and maybe one day you.”

Chanyeol did not know how to feel about this information.  “Does this mean he is not ready to enter into a courtship?”

“No,” Baekhyun says, again not looking at him.  “He has told me he wishes to accept you now that we have talked and he has come to understand his past.”

Joy bubbles through Chanyeol upwards into the largest smile he is sure he has ever produced.  It might be the alcohol in his system but he feels as if he can float!  He grabs Baekhyun by the shoulders.  “I must see him!”

Baekhyun points to one of the less crowded areas of the ball as Chanyeol scurries off, but not before thanking his best friend with a hug that could have broken his spine.  The room is darker and the sparse people there sit as they speak in the sitting room.  Kyungsoo is near the back, looking out a window as Chanyeol maneuvers to sit next to him.

The shorter man looks beautiful as his eyes widen to an exaggerated proportion to his face as he realizes Chanyeol’s presence.  He keeps his mouth in a line.  “Did Baekhyun fetch you?”

“I must admit he did,” Chanyeol confesses.  “But I received some advice earlier and I would have sought you out at some point tonight.”

“I told him to not interfere,” Kyungsoo mutters to himself.  “What did he speak of?”

“That you wish to accept my proposal of courtship,” Chanyeol responds immediately.  The joy is still radiating from him and he tries to lower it as he is sure that he is frightening Kyungsoo with it.  There is a light blush of pink that travels across Kyungsoo’s face before it all starts to turn into a blotchy red all over his face.

“He said that?”  Kyungsoo manages to get out immediately.  There is a hint of anger mixed into the surprise.  Reflexes grab ahold of him.  “I do not know where he has gotten that idea!”

Chanyeol is unperturbed by this response, quite used to it now that he has spent these last two weeks in Kyungsoo’s constant presence.  He takes a guess.  “The blush your face is making right now?”

Kyungsoo frowns, the redness spreading to his ears.  “This is just how my face is.  As someone who has come to me with such a question should know my basic outward appearance.”

“Of course,” Chanyeol smiles as he teases.  “Ears are naturally red like beets.”  He laughs a bit as Kyungsoo does not respond as he tries to hide his ears under his hair.  He looks adorable as he tries to hide from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol gets a bit closer to Kyungsoo’s face, but not too near.  They are not alone and Kyungsoo seems quite aware of this with his shifting eyes.  They have caught the attention of at least one older woman on the other side of the room, but this moment is too important for Chanyeol to give up. “Do you accept, Kyungsoo?”

He knows he has won when those wide eyes reveal the happiness the shorter feels.  The answer is small but affirmative.  “Yes.”

Without caring who is watching, Chanyeol claims Kyungsoo’s soft lips with his own for only a few seconds before parting.  The smile that blooms across Kyungsoo’s face is a reward that Chanyeol did not know he had wanted.

As soon as Jongin has any idea that his mother is coming towards him, he smiles at the friend he was talking to and excuses himself.  The last thing he wanted was for his mother to absolutely embarrass him in front of someone that he cared about.  Jongin’s face falls immediately when he finds his mother pulling a man with a very youthful face towards him.  The pain in the young man’s eyes is enough for Jongin to already feel pity for the man as well as himself.  He straightens up, knowing he should make a strong impression or else his mother will say something about it and embarrass him.

His mother’s voice is loud and he can hear it quite well over the crowd.  He sits down his drink as they arrive.  “Here is my youngest!  My husband and I hold him with such pride.  I know you have come into town just for tonight’s ball, but Jongin rides to live in town within the next month.  He is to perform in the ballet company and I am sure his dancing will absolutely enthrall you and you will be charmed enough to see him preform.  He is one of the most enchanting men in the country!  I have so many friends who would just eat him up if they were just a bit younger.”  Before the two men know what is happening, the woman takes Jongin’s arm and propels them towards each other softly.  Luckily they are able to stop before barreling into a stranger.  “Now, you two, go dance!”

Jongin protests.  Not only is he tired of being forced to dance with suitors but he did not know this man at all since he barely listened in the carriage due to the tension from his brother and cousin.  “I have not even introduced myself!”

“No matter,” the woman dismisses. 

The man looks like he wants to say something as well, but Jongin cuts him off by offering his hand.  “I am afraid she will not let the matter go until we dance.”  The man takes it as they walk to the dance floor and takes the time to at least introduce himself and hopefully get a name.  He may not be interested in this man, although he is very beautiful, but he could be polite to someone who has had to spent any time in the presence of his mother.  They bow before the dance starts. “I am Kim Jongin.”

“LuHan,” the man says as they start.  He is not a bad dancer, a bit better than most, Jongin admits.  The man shows him a small smile, easily able to have a conversation during this dance.  “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“You should not be the one who has to apologize.  It is me for having to put up with my mother and have to dance with strangers who have familial connections.”

“If you told me that you and your cousin were related after this dance, I could not have believed such a lie with how much better you are,” the man says with a light tone.  The man’s voice lowers a bit.  “It also appalls me that your mother tells you to dance with me as if you are looking for a suitor.”

The statement makes Jongin’s back straighten at the honesty and a bit scared at the implication.  Who was this stranger?  “I am single and out in society, what makes you think such a thing.”

The man outright laughs at this.  His voice turns comforting.  “Do not be afraid.  I have a sharp eye that is made for observations, even those that are the utmost secretive.  You are subtle, so there is no need to fret, but your feelings for that Byun man fill you with happiness.”

Shocked, Jongin almost stops moving.  Only muscle memory propels him for the next couple seconds as his mind tries to stand through the aftershocks of the revelation.  No one has ever been able to find out about his secret affections except for Minseok.  Yet, here was this stranger who was able to figure it out in only a few seconds.  “Please speak to no one about this!  Only my eldest brother knows of this, but I must admit to my feelings now that you have brought them into the open.”

“Do not feel shy,” the man says.  His words truly are comforting and Jongin hopes it is not a false feeling.  “That dance the two of you shared makes me jealous for how much fun it was.”  The man’s face falls into a soft smile.  “I know what it is like to hide your true feelings for someone.  Do not hesitate to tell him, he seems like he would have a positive reception to it.”

Jongin pauses a second as he goes over the information just given to him.  “Are you in love?”

“I am.”

Jongin snorts.  “My mother will not be pleased.”

“I do not imagine so,” the man smiles.  The song comes to an end as the elder man bows.  “Thank you for this dance.”  Jongin’s mother comes to collect the young man.

LuHan feels as if he is in need of another drink as this old hag drags him around the ball like a dog.  They stop near one of the most stunningly perfect men as he talks to an older man.  “This is my second young, Joonmyun.  He is the prize of not only this town but of this country.  His skin by itself outshines anyone here.  The man he talks to is our town’s doctor. My son is very charitable as he helps out at our local clinic during his spare time.  One of the kindest men you will ever meet.  I guess love must wait for a turn with him.  He is quite popular.”

There is a bit of disgust in LuHan’s face at the mention of love with a man he has yet to meet.  This woman was much to grating for his liking, but he puts up with it as he knows he must do.  But, he is tired.  The sooner he could take his leave, the better.  “How many children did you say you had?”

“Three while Chanyeol is our nephew.”  The woman answers.  He goes off as she talks of her children again while LuHan does not keep listening.

“If we must wait for Joonmyun, why do we not go see your eldest?”  LuHan tries to suggest.

“There is no need,” the woman says.  “He is a very smart and kind boy but quiet and unamusing in face and interests compared to the younger ones.  Not that I do not love him, but we have found a match for him for his father and I do not believe he has interest of attracting one himself.”

“Oh.”

Joonmyun is standing to the side of a less crowded area of the dance floor.  He had been talking to the doctor as he kept an eye out for Jongdae but has only encountered his mother instead.  As soon as the doctor sees his mother, he takes his leaves and goes to find his wife as an excuse.  Joonmyun does not blame him.  A gorgeous young man stands next to her as Joonmyun sighs.  His thoughts for the past few days have been full of Jongdae not whatever suitor his mother wanted him to be with.

Even during his small fight with Chanyeol did not have him trying to stop himself from smiling with hope.  He might have been a bit hurt from what Chanyeol has said, but it was better to clear the air than anything else.  He might have taken it harder if not for the fact that he has been able to keep Jongdae’s interest for this long.  He bows as his mother comes forward with whom he assumes is the man from her talks in the carriage.

“My dear Joonmyun,” his mother begins, but Joonmyun stops listening.  From the corner of his eyes, he finds Jongdae talking to a man in the next room over as they roam and everything else but thoughts of the man disappear from Joonmyun’s mind.  Jongdae is dressed up with his hair slicked back in a way that makes his heart pound.

As soon as his mother takes a pause, he bows to the two people in front of him.  It might be impolite, but he has been on a streak lately of improperness.  “It was nice to meet you but I must speak to one of the men in the next room urgently.  Forgive me.”

Leaving his mother a bit steaming, Joonmyun goes over to Jongdae immediately who looks to him as soon as Joonmyun enters the room.  Jongdae says goodbye to his conversation partner and they walk to the corner of the small room so that they can talk.  It is not crowded and one of the back rooms, so no one can overhear their conversation.  Luckily, Joonmyun notes, his mother does not follow him.

Jongdae smiles at him, as he puts a hand inside of his coat pocket.  “I am glad I have found you!  I might have something for you that has kept me from walking properly so that I might not put pressure on it and ruin it.  I thought I would find you sooner so I did not think I would have to harbor such a thing for so long.”

From his coat pocket, Jongdae holds out a small bundle of parchment that Joonmyun takes with a small smile of excitement.  Gingerly unwrapping the paper reveals a petite vanilla cake with what looks like strawberry frosting.  It is a bit smudged from the parchment and heat from being inside of a coat, but it makes Joonmyun happier than he has been in quite some time. 

He was not unaccustomed to receiving gifts, but one so personal was quite rare.  Immediately, he pops it into his mouth and relishes it as he looks up to Jongdae whose face expresses the joy that Joonmyun feels.  As he tastes it, his fight with Chanyeol reenters his mind and dampens his mood, but he tries to push it away.

“It is delicious,” Joonmyun says as he finishes.  “Thank you.  It was so unexpected and yet I have nothing to give you.” 

A server comes around and Joonmyun puts the parchment paper on the tray as he takes two drinks.  “I have a drink for you?”  Joonmyun says hesitantly.

This causes Jongdae to laugh loudly enough for two people to leave the area, leaving them with only two other couples who talk on the other side of the room.  “How hard you must of worked to think of just the right present!”

“It was an ordeal,” Joonmyun says sarcastically.  He felt such at ease with Jongdae.  The last person he had joked like this with was once with Minho about two years back.

There is a small pause in conversation as they drink the small glasses of wine and comment on the cheapness of the hosts for filling up the glasses so little.  As they have the server take the glasses away, for the first time Jongdae attitude changes to something that seems more hesitant than jovial.  The loss of confidence piques Joonmyun’s interest.

He waits for Jongdae to talk and is surprised when Jongdae pulls out something else from his coat pocket.  He produces as small piece of paper and offers it to Joonmyun.  Slowly, Joonmyun takes it and reads the lettering.  It was a ticket to an opera that was playing in town for the exact week that Jongin was going to be moving into town. 

Jongdae has regain his self-assurance as he awaits some sort of reaction from Joonmyun, but the man is too much in shock to give one.  The bubbling in his chest preened under Jongdae’s attention, but a more nervous side of him told a different story.  It was clear that Jongdae wished to spend time with him, but was it for the reason that made Joonmyun’s heart pound faster or was it just friendship?

Realizing Joonmyun was not going to respond immediately and has chosen to get stuck inside of his head instead, Jongdae elaborates on the gift for some reason that Joonmyun misinterpreted something.  “I will be in town when your brother moves and he should not have to make the trip alone.  It would be terrible if you were up there with no knowledge of its amusements while your brother was getting settled in.”

“I do not know how to thank you,” Joonmyun says as he takes a breath of air.  “But I must decline for I do not know your intentions.”

“My intentions?”  Jongdae asks curiously.  His eyebrows raise in a bit of surprise, but answers regardless.  “My intention is to see a praised opera with a beautiful man.”

Joonmyun’s heart plummets.  Chanyeol _was_ right.  All of a sudden, this man who was so different from those old men and women had just turned into them with one statement.  The opera was such a public place, it would be a perfect place to show someone like Joonmyun off.  “To be seen together like a souvenir from your vacation?”

Jongdae’s eyes widen.  “That is not what I meant,” he explains.  His tone is serious in the way he shuts down that way of thinking in Joonmyun’s mind.  “My goal is to charm you, not upset you.”

Joonmyun blinks before telling himself how dimwitted he was being. This was Jongdae not some random man who was out to hurt him.  Chanyeol may have been right but he was wrong about Jongdae.  There is a smile back on Joonmyun’s lips.  “So you mean to charm me?”

“So much more than that,” Jongdae admits a bit fiendishly before straightening up and taking the hand Joonmyun has grasped the ticket with.  “My intention is to court you.”

Joonmyun feels as if he is close to bursting.  He has been waiting so long to hear those words from someone.  He properly grasps Jongdae’s hand in return and smiles up at him.  The other’s face reflects his bursting smile as Joonmyun nods.  He almost forgets Jongdae is not asking him as of yet, but this is enough for Joonmyun at the moment.  “Then it would be for the best for me to be shown around town in order to know of all of its amusements.”

Jongdae rolls his head to the side a bit as he smiles as if he is admitting to something.  “If you know of all of its amusements than you will not be wanting to come back to the village.”

If this was not a party and if Joonmyun was not in front of Jongdae he would snort.  As much as Joonmyun wants to resist town, he has always known that it would not always be his choice to stay.  “If you are in town then it would only be proper to understand it.”

“Yet I seek to leave town within the next year,” Jongdae admits.  “There seems to be a need for a doctor in this village to replace the aging one.”

Joonmyun feels at a lost for words.  Not only did Jongdae wish to court him, but he was moving to the village.  He would not have to leave if they decided to stay with each other.  At this moment, Joonmyun feels a bit overwhelmed and gracious and improper as he goes to kiss Jongdae.  It is a chaste touch on plush lips, but Joonmyun cannot seem to find any other way to express his feelings at this moment.  Something in him wishes for more, but they are at a party and Jongdae is still not courting him.

Jongdae beams at him afterwards as they continue to hold hands and talk of Jongdae’s plans to move to the village.

As the ball comes towards the end, every person that Jongin looks towards seems to be full of alcohol and he still feels too sober.  Mentioning this to his friend Kibum this, he is given a drink that he cannot identify.  Within thirty minutes he can feel the effects as he puts the glass on a servant’s tray to be taken away.  No one needs to come into contact with such a dangerous and vile substance. 

There are more dancers than there were earlier, but they are sloppy as they slosh drinks about.  There are a few guests who have started to leave.  Just as Jongin feels as if he wishes he could correct every single person in the ball room on their footwork, he feels a hand on his shoulder.  Baekhyun’s flush has spread further and his hair is a bit more messed up, but Jongin still feels his heart beat faster.

The man does not slur, which was at least some sign of slight sobriety, as he thrusts a hand at Jongin.  “We need to dance.”

Not giving Jongin a chance to say no, the elder takes his hand and pulls him onto the dance floor.  The song is slower than anything the two of them have practiced.  Not that Jongin is judging Baekhyun’s footwork anymore.  There is a look in Baekhyun’s eyes and he does not drop it, holding Jongin’s attention as they slowly go around the dance floor.

The arm on his hips are much tighter and there is barely any room between them.  Jongin cannot help but really feel those delicate fingers wrapped around his own gently, slightly adding pressure as his thumb rubs against the back of his hand.   Jongin feels as if he is going to faint from his lack of breathing.

With Baekhyun’s face so determined and Jongin drunk, Jongin feels as if he could confess with a kiss and everything would fall into place.  To him it would feel just right, like a dream.  The elder’s eyes were making him feel butterflies.  All he wants to do is lean in.

But he does not.  His nerves block him as they part.  Baekhyun does not stop looking at him and does not drop his hand.  Out the corner of his eye, Jongin can see Chanyeol and Kyungsoo walking towards the front door as they talk with Jongin’s parents who seem to be gather the family.

Baekhyun’s voice is soft as he rubs circles into Jongin’s hand.  “Write to me when you come into town.  I want to be the one to show you around.”

There is such promise in those words and they make Jongin’s heart feel light.  “I would love to.”

There is one of those genuine Baekhyun smiles as he takes a step back before going towards Kyungsoo.  It leaves Jongin with a smile on his face and a lot of hope.

Another sigh escapes Minseok’s lips.  No matter how hard he has tried, he has been unable to find someone who he would even consider proposing to.  For a while he was even trying to fake a proposal to someone, but no one wished to be used like that even with a monetary incentive.  At this point into the night, at the end of this party, he has resigned himself to his fate.  He just hopes that his arranged marriage would be decent.

He is quite a few drinks in and realizes that he should seek his parents out for they will soon want to leave this party.  As he enters the room where they stand, he realizes they are talking to someone, probably the man that his mother talked about in the carriage.  His father spots him and makes a motion to come over to the gathering.  As he does, he cannot see the man’s face until he is right next to him.  He looks up.

Minseok feels all of the air leave his lungs.

His mother, as always, seems not to notice.  “LuHan, this is my eldest son.  He has recently returned from university for mathematics.  As I said before, he is being introduced tomorrow to a partner that my husband and I are sure to be a perfect match for him.”

Minseok barely registers the implication of his impending arranged marriage that he will be forced to be a perfect match.  Instead, he stares at his best friend as he tries to come up with any sort of words to say to him.  On the other side, LuHan gives him a small comforting smile and then a fake large one as he turns back to Minseok’s parents who have probably harassed him all night.  He finds himself finally able to blurt something out.  “I need a drink.”

“So do I,” LuHan suggests calmly.  “How about we find the together.  It is getting late but I am sure there are drinks circulating somewhere.”

“Bring us some as well,” Minseok’s father says as the two walk away.  Minseok leads as he does his best to navigate the house farther and farther away from the party until he finds a small study that his not in use.  Coincidently, on the way they find a servant with full glasses of wine that Minseok drowns without a care.  As soon as they are in the study, LuHan closes the door behind him.

There are sometimes that Minseok wonders if nothing could bring him more joy than being in the presence of his best friend.  Even though it was a surprise to see his best friend talking to his parents, the statement does still holds truth.  The exhilaration of seeing LuHan mixes with the anxiety of him spending time with his parents.  Minseok has loved to keep the little control in his life he has had and is known as a private person.  He loves to compartmentalize his life and LuHan has always been an escape from his home life.  A member of high society, yet allowed to express himself as a free soul.  He has always complimented Minseok’s rigidness.  Minseok reeled LuHan in during his more wild times and LuHan made Minseok loosen up just a bit.

“You have not travelled here in years and all of a sudden you show up without telling me,” Minseok says disbelievingly.  LuHan came every vacation season for years until they were at university together.  At university, they were inseparable and yet vacation season has come without Minseok at university and his best friend had written him an apology instead.  These last two weeks would have been a perfect time to have his best friend around to ease his worries.  There was some excuse about his work, but Minseok knows that is a lie.  “You wrote to me about how busy you were at work and -”

LuHan immediately cuts in.  Minseok knows the man enough to know that the twitching in his hand and look in his eyes betray his excitement.  “After receiving your letter this morning about this deal with your mother and your intentions to turn down your job offer, I knew I had to ride for this ball immediately.  Your mother had it in her mind that I was perfect for your younger family members.”

“Not that I am not filled with joy that you are here, because I am, I just do not see the reason why you have rushed here,” Minseok explains.  “The offer from my mother ends tonight and when it does so does my opportunity to work in town.”

“If you are being forced to marry, then I do not understand why you do not leave!”  LuHan spits out angrily.  “Your parents have let you decide nothing for yourself and do not seem to care for you.  You have no personal ties with the house itself and yet it acts like a prison.”

This makes Minseok angry.  How many times has he explained this to LuHan?  How many drunken nights during these past few years?  “My brothers and my cousin.  I cannot leave them.”

“I met them today,” LuHan says as he takes a hold of the other’s arms gently.  The man has always been affectionate in touch which has only grown worse over the years.  When they were young, LuHan used to cling to him so much that he would have to drag the boy around the beach like a deadweight.  “I can see why you care for them.”  There is a small giggle.  “And why the prospect of going to town to be away from your parents is so appealing.”

Minseok sighs in embarrassment.  “I apologize for my parents’ mistreatment of you.  There is no doubt in my mind my mother was an absolute terror.”

LuHan lights up with joy as he smiles at Minseok and shakes him a bit from his grips on his arms.  “Which is why I have come up with a solution and I have ridden here to tell of it.  Letters truly do run too slow sometimes.”

Curiously, Minseok opens his mouth in surprise.  “Then do not keep me in suspense.”

There is a pause as Minseok searches LuHan face which drops his smile and looks like he has been told by a professor that he must make a speech in front of the entire lecture hall without rehearsal.  It is a mixture of dazed and anxiety as his grip tightens on Minseok’s shoulders almost painfully.  “Um…” he hesitates.

Minseok knows that the other man can be a bit outlandish but this was something new.  “Han?”

“Yes, exactly!  Me!”  This sparks LuHan back to life as he leans in close and shakes Minseok a bit more as his large smile returns.  “I am the solution!”

Face falling, Minseok snorts.  Here he thought LuHan was going to be serious about this situation.  “My, LuHan,” Minseok begins sarcastically as he rolls his eyes.  “You have outdone yourself.”

“You do not understand,” LuHan whines in response, shaking the poor man a bit more in frustration.  He straightens up as he slides his hands down to intertwine the man’s hands in his.  Taking a breath, he tries to calm down and explain properly.  “I mean to bind you to me.”

Minseok’s throat goes dry.  “I do not understand.”

“Marry me,” LuHan says, voice full of hope and uncontained delight.  Minseok’s eyes widen at the revelation.  There is a faint blush on LuHan’s cheeks.

There is an eruption of fondness and joy in Minseok’s heart at the revelation, but also nervousness.  He loves LuHan, has loved him as his best friend since childhood and it was easy to imagine themselves together.  It was not the first time he had thought of such a thing, especially with certain comments from school friends, but the timing was worrisome to the legitimacy of LuHan’s feelings.  “If this is just to fulfill my parent’s offer…”

“You know it is not.”  LuHan’s grip tightens as he speaks low.  “I was going to ask you at graduation but my courage failed me to approach you.  When vacation season came near, I planned to come and tell you but, again, my nerves overcame me and I came up with anexcuse.”

Minseok’s feeling bubble over as he smiles but there is still something in him that is unsure about making such a rash decision.  Everything in his mind tells him that this is his best friend, his hasty best friend, who would never truly lie to him.

“You told me once after a bottle of vermouth and orange bitters,” LuHan begins, “that I made you happy.  Does that sentiment still hold?”

Minseok nods as he thinks of the night.  He had overdone himself on drinks and was prone to hanging off the balcony of his friend’s balcony at the time.  LuHan was there to make sure he did not.  With a small smile, he gives into his feelings.  This was his best friend, he did not need to think too hard about it.  “I accept your offer.”

The next second has Minseok enveloped in a hug and being swung about by his best friend.  “I knew you would say yes!  This is perfect!”  The twirling stops and before Minseok can register anything, a small kiss is being placed on his lips.  “We need to tell everyone!”

Minseok digs his heels into the carpet so that he stops LuHan from jerking him towards the door.  “Han!  Think for a second!”

“No time, fiancé,” LuHan says with the biggest grin plastered on his face.  A small pang of delight runs through Minseok at the word _fiancé._ “There is no better time in my mind to make your parents lose every ounce of smugness!”

Feeling a whirlwind of excitement, Minseok follows, hand in hand with his fiancé.

Chanyeol talks with Kyungsoo animatedly as they wait to make their leave of the party.  Ideas of how to communicate with each other are exchanged.  Even though they will talk tomorrow at Baekhyun’s before the two dormmates leave for town.  Baekhyun will need the full play by play of how things unfolded over brunch the next day and who was Chanyeol to deny his best friend such a pleasure.  Still, Chanyeol feels as if he is saying goodbye for a moment. 

They wait for Chanyeol’s Aunt and Uncle as well, as they need to announce their courtship to them at some point and tonight was as good as any.  Baekhyun walks over to them, drunk off of wine and dancing, and tells them of his congratulations as they confirm their brunch time the next morning.  Chanyeol had caught the last moments of his dance with Jongin as his youngest cousin trails behind his best friend.  Jongin also congratulates them and talks softly with Kyungsoo.

A few moments later he finds Joonmyun also comes over with the man he was talking with just as his parents.  Chanyeol tells them of the good news and they offer words of encouragement.  Joonmyun finds that the awkwardness between him and Chanyeol has not completely dissipated, they will need to talk after this, but Jongdae is clinging to him too hard for him to forget his happpiness.  Before he can say something of his own entanglements with Jongdae, his parents arrive.

“Chanyeol, Chanyeol!”  The woman exclaims as he goes up to Kyungsoo and takes his hands without permission.  Immediately, Kyungsoo feels threatened and afraid of the nosy woman.  Baekhyun puts his hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder and Chanyeol puts his on the man’s arm in comfort, knowing his uncomfortable position.  “Is this Kyungsoo?  I am delighted to meet your acquaintance.  I hope you may share only good news for me regarding my nephew!”

With Kyungsoo speechless at the verbal assault of the drunken woman, Chanyeol pulls him back to reestablish some personal space for Kyungsoo.  Even with the uncomfortableness, Chanyeol cannot help but feel a sense of happiness for the events that have unfolded that night.  “He has accepted my offer of courtship, Auntie.”

“Oh my!”  The woman claps her hands in absolute delight.  “I am most happy for you two!  I cannot express my joy that you have found someone!  Someone with such a standing in society, too!”

The crowd all feel a sense of exasperation at the last comment, but Chanyeol lets it go, rolling his eyes.  “Thank you for your approval.”

Jongdae nudges Joonmyun out of his small daze.  When the older looks to the younger, Jongdae eyes raise and lower in some sort of silent language that Joonmyun does not speak.  As Jongae’s eyebrows keep dancing silently as the woman keeps talking, Joonmyun’s expression falls further and further into concern.  What is this man saying?

Realizing that Joonmyun does not speak eyebrows, Jongdae speaks up.  Holding up his and Joonmyun’s hands they grab the small groups attention.  “We also have an announcement!”

Joonmyun pales.  What has Jongdae _done_?

The woman practically screeches as she invades Jongdae’s personal space, who seems to not even be fazed, as she grasps his arm.  How inappropriate.  “I am in disbelief!  Oh, happy day!  You must tell us at once!”

“Mother, give him some room,” Joonmyun argues, but his mother pays no attention.

Jongdae does not seem to mind the pushy woman.  Instead, he is a bit amused by her behavior as he answers.  “We have entered into a courtship.”

“We have?” Joonmyun asks, but, again, no one pays attention to him.  As the woman clasps onto Jongdae’s hand and the crowd gives them small congratulations and a bit of shock.  Chanyeol and Jongin look to each other in astonishment. They were family and yet had no idea that Joonmyun even liked anyone now, or ever if they were telling the truth.  Baekhyun seems surprised as well as the three have a thoughts about having to talk about this later.

After the woman calms down and has both Kyungsoo and Jongdae promise a dinner with the family in order to get to know them, she fans herself.  “This is almost too much amusement for myself!  Two of my children in courtships, it warms my heart.”  She smiles.  “Where is my eldest?  How much noise we are making, it is time to take our leave.”

There is a sense of nervousness in Minseok as he walks hand in hand with LuHan towards his family.  He is stern faced but LuHan seems ecstatic at the prospect of telling his parents.  Minseok wishes him good luck.  They had stayed hidden during the announcements of his younger brother and cousin and Minseok makes a note to wish them well after this is all over.

“LuHan!”  The woman exclaims as they join the group.  “We thought we had lost you.  There seemed to be no more alcohol being circulated anywhere!  For such a high society event, I am in disbelief at the lack of accommodations.”

LuHan does not wait.  “We are getting married!”

Minseok expects the silence and the incredulity in everyone’s eyes, except this odd man next to Joonmyun who he does not know.  Even though, LuHan is smiling wide as if it were to a group of friends who were all about to congratulate them all at once.  Since, Minseok is rooted in reality he just feels his face heat up at the all of the attention.

“Pardon?”  His mother asks.  “I do not believe I heard you correctly.”

“Minseok and I are getting married,” LuHan repeats, same frivolous smile on his face.

“Do you even know him?”  Joonmyun asks.

LuHan creases his brow a bit before gesturing to Jongdae.  “Says the man who is courting someone he met two weeks ago.”

“Oh!”  Jongin exclaims as the party turns to him.  “Are you the mysterious best friend?”

“I am!”  LuHan exclaims, grin back on his face.

Jongin’s face is the only one in the group that returns to normal.  “I knew that you knew too much about me for it to be simple observations.”

“Anyways,” LuHan says.  “After I heard of some ridiculous plan for an arranged marriage while I was planning my own proposal, I knew I had to take the chance and ride out to this ball.”

“I cannot accept this,” the woman says.

“You will accept this,” Minseok says sternly.  “I am leaving this village, accepting the job offer that I have from town, and marrying my best friend.”

“I-” The woman is about to erupt, but his held back by her husband.

He speaks for the first time tonight.  “If that is what you wish.”

“It is.”

Although a bit strained near the end, the family finally says their goodbyes to their respective partners.  LuHan agrees to dinner with the family the next night and as soon as those plans are made, the brothers and cousin are ushered into the carriage by their mother.

She asks rapid fire questions to Chanyeol while Joonmyun expresses his gratitude towards Minseok for giving him the family house.  With the alcohol waring off, Jongin looks out the window as his eyes start to droop.  That is until his mother’s shrill voice is directed at him.  “If only my youngest was able to find a suitor!”

“I must search in town,” Jongin replies easily.  He smiles, already having someone in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for Reading!  
> I hoped you liked it!


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